Booking the Adventure
by Adeleidhis
Summary: An actress, finally getting some principle roles in movies is the best thing that could happen to her. That is until she suddenly must go on a REAL adventure. There are no trampolines, rigged up harnesses, or second cuts this time though. The special effects here are very real, and very un-expecting...
1. Chapter 1

**Welcome reader and reviewer. Yes, I have started a new story. my previous stories are getting way too complicated and I ought to practice a little more simplicity. That's where this one comes in. It is a much simpler version of 'Return to heritage', where it uses my generic A/B/O culture idea to a more simple and to-the-point. It is my OC Alicia in this one as well. So please, tell me what you think! (^_^)**

 **Chapter 1**

"Alright people that's a wrap!" The assistant director called out.

Lights were dimmed, props were being moved and the harness I was in was removed. My shoulders fell slack and I let loose a sigh of relief and accomplishment. We had been working on this little chase scene all day until finally we got a few shots that the director liked. The day was late afternoon which meant it was over. I go to change out of my outfit and return to my room. Let no one be fooled. Being a performer IS hard work even for the actors. What they see on the big screen was only ten percent of the actual work that goes into it after all. But I loved it. This scene was very hard to execute properly, and now that we finally got it, I was going to celebrate with an ice cream.

"That was great guys! We finally nailed it!" The director called out. "It's been a long time coming. Six months and our film project is finally half way done! Now comes the final piecing together and editing our shots in the next two months. Our wrap up party is pushed back to next month since some of us have other jobs after this to get done. During editing we may call you to shoot another scene again. So thank you all again. I'll see you Friday."

There was a loud chorus of cheers and claps that I participate in too. Exhausted as I was, I still feel excited for the future. If all works out, this movie might even be on the big screen. Whether it made it there or not wasn't that much of a concern to me, so long as I kept booking good parts like this, I might eventually make it to the Queen of the Crop in Hollywood or Atlanta. They're saying Atlanta is the new Hollywood now anyway.

Jumping into my car, I drive back to the motel I had been staying in. My friend herbie called me just as I walked in. I put him on video chat. " Hey herbie."

"Hey you!" He greeted me with that big smile of his. "So you all done? How ya feeling?"

"Tired, but happy. Living the dream. Just like you too."

Herbie chuckled. " I wouldn't say I am quite living the dream, but I am pretty close to it." He leaned a little closer to the screen as I passed by my desk where an opened box of The Hobbit action figures were in. He shook his head and laughed some more. " Got some little friends keeping you company? I'm judging you so hard right now."

"Shut up. You're just jealous because they have better beards than you." I tease when I showed him the Gloin action figure that my co workers had bought for me for my birthday. "One day I am going to be on a movie as grand as this one. Might even be Marvel movie, or another fantasy with meddling wizards, elves and dwarves."

"Ooh, I hope not." Herbie groaned while still smiling. "We'll never see you again."

I laughed along with him. "Well, I'll send an invite and you can come visit me on my home planet."

Herbie shrugged. "Just let me know the culture so I don't get thrown in jail for something. So what are you going to do now?"

"I am going to celebrate wiiiiith… a cookies and cream malt, and then sleep for days." I sigh happily.

"Now that sounds like a plan to me. I need catch some Z's myself." Herbie said. "Alright. Buzz you later."

"See ya later. Sleep well." I smile back to him before ending the video chat. Herbie had been a great and loyal friend since the day I met him at our job together at the book store.

After putting away my character outfit neatly, showering off all this extra stage make up, and changing into some old cargo pants, a simple blue shirt and my long jacket with colorful patches on the front and a pair of comfortable tennis shoes. I was ready.

Just as I locked up my motel room though, I realized I wasn't ready. I left my wallet. Packed up everything but left my wallet. I'd leave my head behind if it wasn't attached to my shoulders. So going back inside I grabbed the belt I bought with two pockets, or fancy Fannie pack, and leave once again.

Now that I am ACTUALLY ready, I pack everything up in my vehicle, check out of the inn, and look for a place that sells creamy delights on my way back home. It was about a three hour drive from here to my actual home. I could have stayed one more night at the inn, but It's no biggie. I got used to these long trips and I can sleep in the next day anyway. On the way home was a nice little burger joint that I liked to stop by for the malt treat I favored so much.

Jamming to some catchy tune while on my way home, the drive almost seems shorter and shorter nearly every time I make it. Especially when most of the roads were nearly empty. I was now living on my own with my own little home and my own little bills. Not that more bills was enough to scare me, I had long been waiting for my own place with my own rules.

It is around four when I pull up in the driveway of my home. So glad to be in my own place to enjoy my own peace, it was like getting a second burst of energy now having returned to my own territory. I put everything up and walk to my back porch. The night felt cool against my skin. There is woods at the right side that stretched further out. I would normally go for dry runs with my 'bug-out' back pack for the fun and exercise. Yes I was a bit of a prepper as a hobby. Don't judge me. I decide to go for a walk through it. I had done so many times before, nearly memorizing every shrub or tree in it's place.

So, when the light suddenly started dimming at a much faster pace than normal, the wind picking up with unfamiliar smells I had not noticed before, the plant life wavering as if underwater, that got me alarmed. I look around at the sudden change, back-pedaling. "What….What's going on?" I ask aloud, as if the nearest tree was just going to answer me. Just as suddenly as it started, it stopped. I don't know what it is, so I turn around to go back home, only to stop in my track again. My house was not in view. I know for a fact I wasn't far enough to not see the house from here. So where did it go? In fact, what happened to the forest I was actually in?

Looking about, things are much, greener than the woods I am used to. I spin around two times, searching for anything familiar but find nothing. "Uhhh, what happened? Where's my house? I don't like change." I mutter to myself, hoping to use the humor to ease the alarm building up.

Well, standing here wasn't going to help me solve anything. Might as well keep walking. But I don't have a clue about where I am at now. Looking at the ground, I grab a large stick and stab it into the soft earth and mess up the dirt around it to use as a marker.

Looking up at the sky, it looks to be about the same time, if not a little later, than when I first left. As best as I can guess anyway from the shadows. A flock of birds took off in the sky with a chorus of wild calls. I grimaced at it and kept going. Not long after that, echoes of foot steps and heavy breathing could be heard. I scramble behind a tree, hoping to see whatever was causing it, hide if it was dangerous. It sounded like it was getting closer but not directly towards me. From my left I peeked down this small slope as I saw glimpses of someone with a red hood still up, running away. The short figure disappeared quickly.

"What's this? Lost too are we?" A hissing voice behind me startled me with such a violent flinch I nearly threw myself over the little hill just to get away. Turning about to meet the sneaky guy, I barely hide my shocked face. He smiled it's blacked teeth at me with it's jagged blade out. "Yer a pretty thing. I can have all to meself first."

"Uh, Is this a set? Did I walk into a movie shot?" I say as I point at his get-up. "Ya got some pretty good prosthetics going on your costume there." I half smile.

He tilted his head in confusion at me for a moment before looking down at his own person. " Pros-teticks? I don't got none of that. Come on. Up you get now, and if ye scream, I'll gut you right here."

He roughly pulled me to my feet. Now I am confused. " This isn't a movie shooting?" I repeat. Now that I mention it, the hooded man wasn't being followed by a car with a camera hooked on the side. This awful smelling guy manhandling me sure seemed far too genuine for LARPING too. His sword was far too real and in my face to be a set up. My eyes fell on him once again. "You're a real orc?"

"Of course I'm a real orc!" He snapped as if that was the stupidest question he'd ever heard. Actually it probably was.

"Oh nooo." I groan as it clicked in my head. His sword was getting too close to my neck, and I just reacted out of impulse. I kicked at his stomach and shoved him down the slope. The next second I run like my life depended on it, which it did. The better choice would probably have been to kill that thing, but the smarter choice is to run for my life. Especially when I hear more of the things behind me. It is hard to tell how much are there. Ahead of me I see a winding river. If I could make it to the water, I might stand a chance at living.

Huffing nearly out of breath, I scramble through the small woods. If I could get to high ground, then maybe the orcs would be a lot easier to pick off. Not that I have much of a hope anyway other than running. With no weapons or a lot of skill in anything but a few defense training, I really didn't stand much of a chance. Even if I could make fires and a decent camp in the woods, food and water on the other hand was nearly impossible. Having always been a very active and curious person, knew a few skills in a wide variety, but I am not exactly Les Stroud.

I am also not a marathon runner either. I do start to lose my breath here soon. Just as I risked a glance around me, my foot catches onto some very hard, jangling root that sends me ungracefully kissing the ground. There was a hiss to my left that startled me to get up again. I gasp at the new enemy. Only it wasn't an orc. It was the hooded figure from before, crouched low. "Oh shoot." I scrambled defensively.

The hood was thrown back, nearly blinding me with white hair and pale skin. It was an old man. No, old dwarf, with his right leg caught in some trap that he winced at. His hair white as clouds, long white beard and dressed in black, scarlet and silver stitching. I can recognize that hooked nose anywhere. Balin. Son of Fundin. I don't realize I am staring at the poor dwarf until our eyes met and immediately my own heart is distressed at seeing him like that.

I looked away quickly. My eyes falling on what had tripped me. It was not a branch, but a chain. He had fallen into some trap that the orcs must have laid out. What are the odds. But why would orcs lay traps like these? Didn't they usually ambush and raid?

Catching my own breath, I examined the generic 'bear trap' that had him rooted there. He does not say a word to me just yet, probably catching his own breath or trying to stay quiet. Inching up to him, I gingerly reach for the device. I know a few tinkering techniques thanks to my dad's many skills, though none of them were mechanics in hunting traps. Still, it looked simple enough, just hard to undo. I grunt in the effort to help him out of it. Then the air echoed with more screeching war cries of the orcs.

"Go." He hissed. "Run lassie. Quickly." He gently pushes me away.

"Not yet." I retort. His nudge puts me in a better line of sight on the two levers that held him in place. Up I get to stomp on them.

He makes the weirdest grunt I have ever heard yet, like a mix of some animalistic growl and a groan of pain. It is quickly replaced with surprise and then a determined glint as he picks himself up. I can't tell yet how bad his poor leg was maimed, enough to make him limp though. The screeches were coming closer and I am getting a little desperate here. I sidle up next to his right, taking his arm to encourage him to use me to lean on. "Come on." I whisper so low I am not sure if he even hears me, but it doesn't matter. The old dwarf eye-balls me warily at first but does not pull away. Larper or not, at least he seems to be accurate to how I would guess the real Balin would act. His arm is around my middle, supported too by my hands as I help guide him away. Though I sure wish I knew where I was going. At least I can go slow and catch my breath now. Balin was thin lipped, frowning at the ground ahead of us as he focused on just moving forth. The adrenaline in my own body motivates me to keep at his side and keep going. The river stretches out in front of us as we clear a clump of trees and off to the side were more rocky outcroppings. He starts that way, steering us towards the high ground. I let him take the lead while I offer the best support I could. Up we clambered onto the rocks, his hand carefully reaches for a clump of vines that he moves out of the way. He grunts in some mental approval, having found a tiny hidden cave covered by a rough curtain of vines and foliage. I help hold them out the way for him and I to crawl in.

I peer out, hoping we don't have any pursuers close enough to see where we are hiding. Behind me, Balin lets out a heavy sigh as his back rests against the rock. He looks as tired as I was when I left the set. It occurs to me that he could have been bleeding this whole time. Carefully I shift closer, asking to examine the wound with my eyes. I don't know why I don't just use my words. It could be because I feel like we should still be quiet. His brown eyes fell on my face, shifted to my slowly approaching hands to his leg. Lifting up the pant leg, I see that indeed, a part of the traps broke skin on opposite sides where blood streams ran freely. Lines that now formed purple bruises were showing up.

Just as I was contemplating what to do for it, the yells came back. I whipped my head around towards the sounds. The monsters sure were a stubborn lot. If they caught up to us though, I don't think Balin would stand as much of a chance if they surrounded us. I look at his injury in disdain. Then there's only one other option, dumb as it might be. I looked up at the old dwarf again. He had a grim scowl on his face. When his eyes met mine again though, I lift one finger to my lips. "Sssh."

I bolt out of the hiding place, covering it back and skipping back down to the bank to the edge of the tree line.

"No! Come back!" I hear Balin hiss behind me. He did not grab me in time to stop me from leaving.

I was worried though, if I stay, then they'd find us both. If I led the orcs away then one of us should survive. 'Still a stupid idea. I'm no marathon runner. How long do I think I can keep this up? I can't rely on some last minute save from some random traveler.' I mentally berate myself as four orcs yell and brandish their weapons when they see me. I take off again down the bank of the river, opposite of Balin's hiding spot.

I'm not that fast of a runner either, having only been accustomed to short sprints. They see me though and my plan so far is working. At least the four that saw me have not paid any attention to the rocks. Now what? If I can keep a good distance ahead of them, and maybe swim across the river…

Another glance behind me shows that they are hot on my trail. I better think of something else quick. The only other quick option is to jump in the river now. I start by running in the water, just deep enough for my feet to submerge. Though they didn't seem to stay submerged. It was like the water was shrinking from me. "Hey." I huff in agitation. The water had shrank back so much that I tread right to the middle and it only came up to my waist. The water is cold, but not enough to stop me from running for my life. Within a few moments I make it to the other side, now huffing and puffing like the old wolf and three pigs.

The orcs scowl and scream at me in their black tongue on the opposite bank. They're not crossing the water? Well, maybe I am safe for the moment. They shoved at each other, pushing towards the water until the two smallest ones were volunteered to cross first. Never mind they are still coming. Well now what?

I search the ground for any branches I might be able to use as a club while I try to catch my breath. Of course I am still going to keep running, but at this rate I figure I might have to fight at some point. Problem is, most of my fighting skills were staged combat…

A rumbling roaring sound catches my attention. Down the river I see what looks like a large white wall rushing our way. The orcs roar out in terror as they tried to scramble away. Me too when I see this great rush of water rushing for us suddenly. Jogging away from the river bank as much as my burning legs would allow, I get out in time to see the flood wash away the orcs, rinsing them down towards the large lake that shimmered in the remaining sun. Something tells me that they will not be lucky enough to make it to the banks.

The lake though, was truly a beautiful body of water that I admire while recuperating. I get a fantastic view atop the hill I am standing on. It also happens to give me a better vantage point of my where-a-bouts. All around me were rolling hills north to south. The lake is east while behind me was the forest then behind that stretched miles of field dotted with more forests as far as my eyes could see. Hues and shades of greens, mixed in with a kaleidoscope of colors from wildflowers, then browns to grays from trees is all that surrounds me. Not one street sign, or paved road to be detected. It was both exhilarating and frightening. It also meant civilization might be a lot harder to find as well. Maybe I should turn back and see if I can find the Balin impersonator.

Re-tightening the straps on my backpack, I start walking down the hill. The lake is so large I can't even see the other bank very well. That also disheartens me a little, because from where I am standing now I can't see any signs of people at all. I do see, as I walk along the banks, ruins of old buildings that used to be prosperous. Limestone and granite dotted the banks I explore. Some of which still had some semblance of architectural designs on them. I do wonder if any I find might be suitable enough for a shelter. At this rate I am not going to find another person before nightfall. Walking gingerly around the few ruins, else something should try and ambush me, I peek around the outcroppings to examine what might be the best place.

Just a little further, I find what looked like the remains of some sort of castle grounds or grand watch tower. It makes me wish I had wings and could just fly everywhere I wanted to go, explore every part of the ruins I could. I snap myself out of it though. More importantly I need to find shelter that won't sap what little body heat my body could produce. So cold stone and bare ground were out of the question. Although my clothes were designed for hiking and camping, they still could only do so much to keep me warm when I am still. I find a place that would make for good shelter from nearly all the elements except for chill. The best chance I had against that would be a fire. So the last few hours of daylight was spent gathering dry wood and grass. Once I got a little spot cleared for the fire, I dig in my bag for a Firestarter. There was in fact one inside it and to my surprised delight, an emergency blanket. "Really? I had this all along too?" The things I forget sometimes. The fire starter takes me some time, as I have never actually used it before, but I finally get a good working spark to light the dry grass and the pile of twigs. I don't know how long the first pile will last until I need to fuel the fire again, so I take the time to bed down on my makeshift mattress and wrap up in the emergency blanket. My fuel was a very large pile of twigs, sticks and dried grass I piled up that should last me the whole night so long as I make I stretch. So I will get what shut-eye I can and try again tomorrow. The crickets, frogs and random splashes make it a challenge, but eventually it happens. Thank God.

 **And that's Chapter 1! Horaaay! I do have the next chapter coming up real soon for you too. It's almost done. Reviews are treasures as always. Thank you for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2-Caught in the Act

**YAAAAY! I DID IT! I got the next chapter up and ready! Thank you xSeriouslyPadfoot for your review. You are always one awesome guy. And thank you MissCallaLilly. Yes, it is a new change I thought I'd try. I'm happy you like it. So, here we are with the next chapter. Thank you and enjoy.**

 **Chapter 2- Caught in the Act**

I did only have to re-fuel the fire once last night. The hard part was trying to go back to sleep. My mattress was uncomfortable by now no matter which position I laid in. I tried even getting up to find more dead grass and moss to make it a little softer. It only works for a short time. I don't know how many hours pass before I do finally drift to sleep again. The second time I wake up is to the bright light of the morning. Birds chirping about and my fire died down to embers. I have this habit, if I get to sleep in, I wake up at eight in the morning and go back to sleep till ten. Right now, it is very tempting to do that again. In fact, I already start drifting back to sleep. It's not like I knew what or where I was going, might as well take the rest while I can right?

Wrong. No matter how I tried I couldn't fall back fully asleep. I must have grown too used to the comfortable mattress of the inn. Sighing I get up, pack up my camp and assess which direction I ought to try. A little more south of me was another river. I wonder if I follow it would I run into a town or such. My grumbling stomach reminds me that food is still an important thing. Oh dear. What did I have?

Rummaging through my bag, I count my blessings again at having found a protein bar. Wasn't much but it oughta hold me over for a while longer. Oh but water is important too. Hmm.. How do I use this water filter thing I got?

I spend the first hour experimenting with my gear, chowing on my protein bar. Like most of it's kind, it doesn't taste all that good, but beggars can't be choosers now. "Protein bars and water, breakfast for champs." I mutter to myself as I trek towards the river. As much as I liked exploring, I didn't like not knowing where exactly I was.

Some time later, I reach the river. The water flows towards the lake, but I want to go the opposite direction. So here I go. This was so strange now that I had time to think on it. I didn't have much to go by but just on what has happened so far, nothing has given me much clue as to what exactly is going on. I almost miss the scenery that is slowly passing me by. The forest is still majestically beautiful and unknown to me.

I took a break under the shade of a tree to rest my feet for a little. Although I was fully awake and able, my body still felt sluggish and drained. It was a frustrating thing when sleep was not as adequate a part of your life as it should be. Nothing can be done for it now, as I had some place to be, which I do believe includes a real bed that I'd much rather be in than here without even a tent. Off I go following the river. It is not without some trepidation that I venture on. Without Google maps or people to ask, navigating completely on your own for the first time with no training is scary. All I have to go on, which is still a guess, is that this river is supposed to be the Brandywine river that will eventually meander into Hobbiton. For the first half of the day I make myself walk at a brisk pace, faster than normal but not too bad to tire me out too quickly.

During my traveling, that feeling when the tank might be full is going off again, so I meander to the tall grass and trees at the side to look for a place to relieve myself. The one thing those survival shows don't show you too often, is how to relieve yourself without accidentally using poison ivy for toilet paper. Luckily for me I know what poison ivy looks like anyway so at least THAT won't be a problem. Doesn't mean there aren't other plants that might be. I undo my belt and proceed to drop the draws'. The good thing is that everything is sooo much less mortifying when you're by yourself…

"Oh! Mizi-koan!"

The frightened shriek has me jerking badly enough to throw myself off balance and fall sideways in a hasty attempt to hide my behind in the itchy grass. Almost directly behind me stands a boy clad in a cardigan, covering nearly his entire face. In my stupor I can't think of any words to say.

"I- so sorry! Sorry!" He stammers as he spins on his heels and takes off in the woods.

"Wait. WAIT! AGH!" I call out as I recover to put everything back on. The mortification is over nine thousand, but the danger of orcs is over ten thousand. Plus, he might have some directions I could use. "Hold on! You can come back now!" I try following him as best as I could, keeping the river direction south of me. His distant footsteps are all I have to tell me which way he went.

Another figure stepped just in front of me, causing me to stop abruptly so as not to smack into them. I blink at this new guy who looks at me as if I am invading his privacy. "Lookin' for somethin'?" This new guy…what's his deal? I grimace at him and his shark fins looking hair.

"Excuse me." I say curtly as I try to weave around him. However, he doesn't let me pass.

"Hold on now miss." He said holding up his arm to block me. "Ye seem ta be tied up about something. Mind telling me what yer chasing after?"

I scowl at him, keeping out of reach from him in case he wants to try anything. His shrewd features isn't striking me as a friendly sort. "Look, I'm chasing after someone that might be in danger or IS a danger. There are orcs out here and standing here chatting with you isn't helping anyone now buzz off."

"Anyone scarin' away my brother makes me chatty." He growled right back. "So you can tell me what's crawled up your arse." He crossed his arms over his chest to stare me down.

I snort inwardly. I am not by no means saying some some BAMF soldier in the military, I just don't get intimidated THAT easily. But, what he did say does give me pause. "Your brother?" I relax just a little. "We bumped into each other, at the wrong time and he took off this way. But like I said earlier there are monsters about. He could have ran straight into a group of them. That or I m about to confirm a hideout for bandits." I say raising a brow in a pointed look at him.

The guy scoffs at me. "Fat load a good yer doing yerself then, running right into their camp. I could 'ave grabbed ya that'd be the end of it. Lucky for you I'm not."

"Oh good. Hopefully you can prove that to me and I can tell my team behind me to put away their bows and notched arrows." I reply evenly.

The red head narrowed his eyes at me, pointed nose wrinkling as he looked as if sniffing around for danger like some paranoid muskrat.

Another heavy pounding came adjacent from him. "You saw what? Nori where did you run off to?!"

"Here." The red head gritted out as he watched me. I continue my façade as some health inspector, watching him expectantly.

Then came two more people, an older, broader built man and the young boy I might have traumatized trailing behind him. They both looked at me with flummoxed faces. "Oh. Hello there." The greyed man said, eyes flickering up and down at my person. "What's happening here?" he directed the question more to Shark hair Nori.

How funny. He's already frowning at Nori first like it's his fault. Fine by me.

"This is the one tha' scared our little bother and was chasin' him with archers not far behind her." Nori rumbled out, turning all eyes back at me.

'Oh this butthead.'

"I accidentally scared him, unlike you purposefully harassing me. I went looking for him because I don't want to say I scared a boy running straight into an orc or bandit camp." I straighten out with my own hard look.

Dori let out a loud sigh through his nose. "Bootless elves. We can't even get directions without trouble. My apologies miss, for my brothers bothering you. Your concern for his safety is very kind thank you."

He makes a small dip of his head in a bow like manner. The way he spoke, as if this was something he recited daily. It did help me relax a little more, along with a small smile of my own.

"It's no trouble. Just a misunderstanding." I reply, feeling kind of sorry for him. "Can, I help you with something?"

"Not unless you have better directions than 'I think it's this way.'" The Eledest Ri replied sening a dry glare at Nori. "Oh but my manners are slipping. I am Dori, at your service. This is Nori, and this is Ori."

Ori was having trouble making eye contact with me, not that I blame him. "Hullo miss. I'm terribly sorry about, earlier."

"It's alright. We'll leave it behind us." I re-assure. But I probably should have phrased it better. His face heats back up again. "I am Alicia. Nice to meet you all."

Nori smirks to the side.

"I can show you to the river along with which way the large lake is and which way The Shire is SUPPOSED to be. Aside from that I am jut as lost." I shrug helplessly.

Nori perks up a little at that. "The Brandywine river, right?" he looks to Dori. "That'll help us a great deal."

"You're certain about that?" Dori asks pessimistically.

"It's like what she says. Only two places the river can take ya." Nori smirks. "Aye. Show us to the river will ya?" He said looking back at me.

Not quite sure I like the way he just said that, speaking as if I am just some animatronic servant out here for him, but I decide to let it go and turn back south wordlessly. I walk slow at first, giving the brothers time to pick back up their packs and follow. They didn't take long at all recovering their things and catching up to me.

When we cleared the woods again, Dori grumbles behind me. "Thank Mahal we are not so surrounded by trees."

Nori went sniffing around again. "Where are the archers you mentioned?"

"…There are none. I just made that up 'cuz you were being rude, like a possible bandit."

That earned me a pause and a glare from him. Though the glare was short lived and melted into a subtle bemused smirk. "Not bad." He mumbled.

'Did he just compliment me for lying to him?' If his reputation now is anything like they implied in the movies then getting such a compliment from him in his own 'industry' is a rarity. But that's because he doesn't know anything about MY industry too.

My back pack sits right where I left it, though I probably shouldn't make a habit of leaving stuff lying around here, especially now. "So, that way is the way I came. The lake is that way. And this way, The shire hopefully. Which is also the way I am going." I say as I hoist up my bag back on.

"We're headed that way too." Dori said slowly.

Not until I noticed the silence did I look up at them again. Though I am not sure why they seemed more tense suddenly. "Would you like to come with me?" I offer.

"It would not sit well with me, leaving a lone lass on her own just as lost as we are." Dori admits his thoughts. "Yes, I think traveling together would be the better option."

I think that too would be the smarter choice since we are all headed to the same destination anyway. And it would be wise to try and get on everyone's good side while the opportunity presents itself. "Well. Thank you." I say in gratitude to him. Hoisting my bag properly onto my shoulders, I turn on my heels to continue our trek.

"Here! Where did you get that?" Nori was right behind me as I turned around to face him, he barked suddenly.

"What?" I ask. I turn around in time to see him bolt up to me as if to grab me. "Woah!Heyman,don'tberunninguptomelikethatwhatareyoudoing?!Getchur'mittsoffme!" I fight away from his grasp.

"Ya got somthin' you shouldn't know about. How came you by it?" Nori demands.

"Nori!" Dori berated.

"It's on 'er pack. That, tiny key ya have on it. How did you get it?" Nori demands pointing an accusing finger at me.

I back pedal away from him, scowling as I grumble under my breath. The back pack comes back off to the ground and I see what he's talking about as Dori and Ori join us.

"Smaller…oh." Then it snaps to me. My keychains I decorate my bag with. One of them was a replica of Thrain's key. Oh dear. Now how do I explain that?

I slowly slip off my back pack, pretending to examine what he was talking about while I come up with some story. "Oh the replica." I say evenly.

The dwarves looked on, almost in worry as they see the keychain. "Replica. Why would you have such a thing, let alone knowledge of it?" Nori asks as if ready to jump me.

"I happen to have some talent as a seer." I start the lie through my teeth. Acting skills don't fail me now. "I am looking for the wizard Gandalf for some extra help."

"A seer seeking aid? Not a very good seer then." Nori commented.

"I am not all-knowing." I quip back. "And Gandalf, from what I heard is around five-thousand years old, so he should naturally know something semblance of, aid." I say awkwardly.

"Do you know what that key is?" Dori asked stepping closer in a lowered voice as if we were standing in a crowded room.

"If I understand correctly, It's Thrain's key, well, a small look-alike anyway." I continue.

They had fallen silent, trading glances in a muted conversation. I back-peddle from them again, showing my own unease.

Dori's face had softened just a smidgen when he looks back at me. "Miss Alicia. You must understand what you know is very important information. Allow us to escort you. Gandalf will be there."

It really wasn't much different than before I met them, only this time it is more like I might be their prisoner. Not a fun feeling, being an unofficial convict, but all things considered it is practically my only choice. Unless I might raise suspicion by trying to run. I nod once slowly, hoping that it still looks as if I am still wary of them. They continue their way, and myself trailing next to them.

"Hm, would you mind hiding it away for now?" Dori requests over his shoulder.

Yeah, maybe that's a good idea for now. I comply by taking off the keychains and dropping it in a pocket before continuing. The trek lapses into an awkward silence for us all until Ori sidles next to me. "Your pack is finely crafted by the way."

Aww, sweet guy trying to break the tension. My lips quirk upwards. "Thank you kindly. I am particular about my gear sometimes."

"Where are you from?" He asked next.

"My hometown is called Tod Mission. I don't know who sent me, if anyone did. I was taking a walk. Then everything moved and shimmered like hurricane winds, and when I opened my eyes again, it wasn't the same forest I went for a walk in. Then not long after that the orcs showed up." I answer.

"I have never heard of Tod Mission." Nori says next up ahead. "Your story is already difficult to believe."

"I know. That's why I am also looking for someone with a higher knowledge in magic, as I can only assume that's what the cause is. So, who better to ask than a wizard? They're supposed to be guides anyway." I ramble a little.

"Does your husband know you are here?" Dori asks next.

"I am happily unmarried."

That earns another odd look from him, but it erases quickly, probably remembering his own status. "What of your family then? Does anybody know you are here?" He almost sounded concerned at the end.

"…No." I heave a sigh. "Sure, would have helped if someone told me I'd be here."

"Did you not foresee this coming?"

"No, not every little detail is revealed to me. I said I had SOME talent. Not a professional with an extra thirty years under my belt." I add as we walk on.

Nori tilted his head contemplatively. "When they realize you are missing, they will think you have been kidnapped."

"I think, that I am already, gone, from my home." I say to both him and myself.

"What do you mean?"

"I think that I am already technically…dead now." I try to explain. I am also trying to 'logify' this myself, so I don't know what to believe either. 'Or replaced by one of my many me's from another alternate dimension in reaction to 'cause and effect' coupled by the theory of quantum entanglement…'

"Do you have any idea how to get back home?" Ori asks next. His scribbling in his notebook makes me feel like some lab rat.

"I do not. Yet at least." I reply. "I'll see if Gandalf might be able to help with that too." I try to say as positive as I can as I zip up my jacket. I was his eyes widen even more so as they follow the zipper. He's even cuter in person! "Zipper." I reply.

"They look like little teeth." Ori comments as his tilts a little. "You don't have buttons where you're from?"

"Yes, we still use buttons too. Zippers are an extra help too." I reply.

"Do all the women dress like you?" He interviews.

'I happen to think my style is VERY nice and unique.' I think to myself. Though to people here, any woman not wearing a skirt is probably an oddity. "There are many different styles of clothes where I'm from, for both men and women. My style is pretty normal for travelers."

Ori nods as he takes a few notes again, his eyes glancing at me every so often…Nerd.

With no shame, I do the same eye-balling to him and his brothers. I always though Dori had the most beautiful hair. I want to touch it just to see if I can feel how much product he uses in his hair to keep it styled. But of course, I don't. I wonder if he really is as pessimistic, and mother-henny as he is made out to be in my world.

Same with Nori, though I already see that he is as shifty as he is speculated to be. I wander what his eyebrows would look like unbraided, hanging over his eyes like some camel.

And then there's Ori. He clearly does still have a love for the fine arts. Which leads me to believe he has that hidden 'berserker' talent people want to associate with him. I guess everyone can't stay sweet all the time.

They don't seem to mind too much when I chose to stick to the shade as much as it is provided. A large field is laid out before us and is only dotted with trees when the first half of the day was gone. Once we crossed some sort of invisible line, I notice in the distance, heads popping around trees and shrubs, or peeking out old buildings. I'm sure I am not the only one to see them, though the brothers don't show any signs of being bothered by it. Then again, they might be used to people staring at them for whatever reason.

As we get closer, I see for the very first time, REAL HOBBITS! Or as real as I care to admit all this is right now. They were not quite dressed in the comfortable farmer attire I was expecting. These hobbits had on travel gear and even types of protective armor like chain mail and leathers with knives and bows strapped on their person. They did not scurry away when we came close. All watched us with looks of open suspicion and/or polite curiosity. I try smiling politely to any that happen to lock eyes with me, normally getting a small smile or a head nod in return; their noses wriggling when we passed by. They watched us the whole time entering the borders and a little further in. That's what tips me off. These were The Bounders. The little hobbit version of a strip center's security guards. I happen to find it pretty cool to see even guards looking so happy or tranquil. It used to sadden me to see a good cop's shoulders bowed with the weight of their duties. Of course, I know and they know what they signed up for, but it was still an industry where your coworkers could take advantage of you or your boss inadvertently make you feel like you're not doing good enough. But of course, humans were not hobbits. That and there's just way too many of us to keep up with anyway.

"I thought the books said hobbits lived underground." Ori muses.

"Aye they do. In wee hills and the like. These buildings are built for rangers and bounders." Nori replies.

"Bounders?"

"Aye. Think of 'em like a wee hobbit city guard." Nori taught his youngest brother.

One such hobbit, with a large brimmed hat that curved upwards on the sides like a cat's ears. He started with a polite smile as he stepped in front of us. One hand rested on his hip where no doubt his dagger as he stood in a casual stance. "Hello there, travelers." He greeted first. "Who might you be and brings you to the Borders of The Shire?" Although his voice was friendly, it held an undertone of order that one would often here from officers.

"I am Dori here with my brothers Nori and Ori. We pass on peaceful terms escorting Lady Alicia." The eldest Ri replies in a very 'official' manner.

The Bounder's eyes lazily drifted from him to me, to which I smiled in kind. A lone human woman with a dwarf body guard is a as good a cover up story as any. His trained eyes passed over us both. "Hmm. I assume you come from Ered Luin, taking the route to the Lake. You've not had any troubles on your way here? Such as bandits and the like?"

"Only a small band of orcs west of the hills." Dori answers.

The Bounder's head tilted back in understanding. "Ah. Thank you for letting me know and welcome." The hobbit smiled with a deep dip of his hat before waving and stepping aside."

I waved back habitually as we kept on going, leaving the old buildings far behind in our wake. Thanks to my skills I have learned how to adopt the cool calm and collected face and not show my excitement and thrill. On the inside though I can't stop marveling at everything around me. Everything was just so, alive and green and clean! By clean I mean that I don't see the lost trash bag or paper cup liter on the side. It was part of the reason why I moved to the 'country' neighborhood. So that I could see real nature, but the land in my home town and cities I have been thus far do not compare to this. I'd have to scour the continent to find places like this.

"We'll make camp here." Dori's voice disrupted my inner philosophies.

I look at him just in time to see him slide off his own small bag to the ground. His head swiveled left and right, he took a deep inhale through his nose both directions. His eyes scanning the ground too. I deem it is probably to make sure we are not about to sit in an ant bed. Rolling hills were still all around us along with plenty of trees all over the place. I kneel down to the designated spot that might provide as our camp fire, helping prep the spot while Ori went gathering some fire wood.

Nori wordlessly crouched down and started up a small fire before I could get out my own fire starter. Unlike me though, he has a little tinder box, complete with all the flint and steel the little thing could hold. Well, since he's got this taken care of, I'll just go see about myself.

"Be right back."

"Where are you going?" Dori whirled my way as if I was planning to blow up his house.

"Bathroom break." I say.

"A what? There is no bathing room here Miss." Dori looked perplexed.

I blink at him. "I gotta pee." I grit out.

"Oh. Ah yes. Not too far." He cleared his throat as he turned back to rummaging through his bag.

"Jeeze. Try to be discreet around here." I mutter jokingly.

I got a dry-humored snort from Nori, red tinted ears and cheeks from Dori, and a 'what did I miss?' look from Ori when he returns.

With my backpack slid off, I head off to the nearest bushes that provide me a little privacy. I can still feel his eyes burning holes at my back as I leave. I don't care, the tank is full. I need to empty it. I didn't mention it before but having to do all your business with no toilet paper sucks! Last night I had the comfort of knowing I was all by myself and there was plenty of grass and leaves and so forth I could use to get clean and take my time and look as hillbilly as I wanted. Now, I got a dignified dwarf family I can talk to about the weather while I figure out how to do it again as subtly as possible. Well, hopefully they won't use the same spot when he must go and come back here seeing half the grass pulled up. The river is still at our side, so I wash my hands and face by it before returning to our little spot where Nori took over and has a nice pleasant fire going. He even pulled out some bread, cheese and meat for us to have a light dinner. I feel a little bad for him having to share his meal with me, so I offer my little water pouch to him that came with the water filter kit.

He looks at it like I am offering him a beheaded mutant rabbit from mars. "What is that?"

"It's just water, in a simple water pouch." I say easily as I take a drink from the spout to show it's not poisoned and quite easy to use before offering to him again. "Thank you." I say once he extends one of the simple meals out to me.

He refuses it by gesturing to his own water reservoir pouch. His eyes still look at mine oddly, probably due to the blueish illustrations on the plastic pouch that Sawyer water filters usually have.

We lapse into silence before Ori fires off his questioning again. "What kind of visions do you have?"

"What kind?" I ask in mild confusion. "Kinds relating to the future." I am honestly unsure what exactly he meant by that question.

"Do they tell you of a certain future? Of any one you come across?" Ori elaborated.

"Well, as I mentioned before. I am new to it. They normally come like any typical dream does. Some parts are symbolic, and I have to do a little research to see what they might mean. While some parts are straight forward."

That seemed fair enough to him.

Dori asks the next question by glancing at my backpack. "Have you had any visions in relation to it? The key I mean."

I take a moment to think on this one, breathing in the crisp air as I looked up at the darkening sky. "I had one. It starts out with me walking down an old pathway when I came across that key, only it was much bigger, a little over a foot in length." I say as I describe with my hands. I knew that even my over exaggerated size was not at all accurate, but it's a 'vision' I am trying to sell after all. "And when I picked it up it was very heavy. Hinting to me it's got a huge burden to it, or it's of great importance. Then I am walking down this hall lined with all kinds of doors, but only one was the same greyish color as the key and it was way up high. That hints to me that either it's very hard to get to, or it is literally a very high door. I climb up to the door that matched the same color as the key and sure enough, it fit." I stop to see if he was buying any of this. He seems to be studying me to see if I am making any of this up. Or in my case, how well I am telling this story.

Dor's face looks even grumpier, his pinchable cheeks pulled down with the frown, making it hard for me to tell if he believes it or is secretly thinking I am an idiot in his head.

Nori's too, is a very hard one for me to read. The subtle reactions like head tilting or short brows quirking upwards isn't giving me much to work with either. He casts a look at Dori when finally a small smirk is shown. Dori grumbled under his breath something I don't catch. Nor do I help myself from asking. The elder just hakes his head and huffs though.

"That key first belonged to King Thror, who passed it down to King Thrain, who should have passed it down to our king Thorin Oakenshield." Dori summarizes. "So yes. That key is of great importance. Where it is now, I haven't the slightest idea."

"Yet." I say optimistically. "Maybe it'll show up along your own paths, like in my vision with me."

The elder pauses in his re-lacing his gloves to look at me with some scrutiny. "Pardon me Miss Alicia but, how old are you?" Dori asked in a softer voice as he passed me one of the little sandwiches.

"I am twenty nine."

The three brothers do a simultaneous freeze and stare at me. There was an audible groan that made me look at them in question.

"Even better. Now we have a child. All on her own and not even a guardian of any kind to help her." Dori grumbled.

I look at him with my own 'excuse me?' look. "I ammm NOT a child. I am very much an adult, by human standards."

"Do adults still play along fallen trees with their arms out like birds where you're from? Because it seems to me like you've a lot of growing up still." Dori replies tutting a finger at me.

"Why cuz' I'm not complaining about everything all the time?" I retort in mild jest to him. "Is that what I'm missing?"

Ori looks up in a shy manner to me from his pad with a hint of a smile on his face.

"Amongst other things." Dori says back. The way his tone had sounded light hearted, re assured me that he took no offence to my tiny barb.

"Hey. God knew what he was doing when he created me, whether anybody else thinks so or not." I reply with confidence. "Same with you three."

"Aye, clearly you don't know what you're doing." Nori smirks. I can't tell whether it was a playful or smug smirk.

"And you know what you're doing? A year prior to this day did you know you'd be here in the Shire, doing what you're doing?" I smile at him.

Nori's face doesn't change much more than the smirk slowly disappearing. Though once again I don't know if because the mirth just wore off or if I struck a chord somewhere. I hope it's the first.

"Let's get some rest. I'll take the first watch." Dori says.

"We don't need watches now that we're in The Shire. The Bounders and rangers patrol these lands." Nori unrolls his bed roll.

Dori looked unconvinced, though now I think he will always look like that about something new that he couldn't see with hard evidence.

The colors of the evening sky are more prominent in the fading sunlight. There was this feeling of peace and contentment that I have. It is as if this moment, disbelieving as it is, is an all-too-rare intimacy that makes me realize how many times people acted this scene instead of really lived it.

They each had their own bedroll that they set up across the fire. I had once bought a lot of this thick denim material from Wal-Mart's fabric center. I fold it up to where it would make a long scarf or sash. Unfolded it became a blanket or in this instance, a 'bedroll' to keep me off the direct ground. I loves me creative and multifunctional tools. The ground is also a lot softer here than my first night by the lake, but I do look forward to being in a real bed soon I hope.

 **Yeeeeep. I just went there. Half mooning poor little Ori. Seemed like a funny idea at the time. XD**

 **Yes Ori is normally the shy quiet type, but I believe every now and then he has a voice too you know. So I might have made him speak up a little more than normal and I hope that didn't bother you too much.**

 **I know Alicia might seem a little laid back and taking it all in stride, but she is just going with the flow at the moment anyway. Also seems like a good idea at the time. Originally it was supposed to be Thorin she runs into instead of the Ri Bros. But again I wanted to try something a little different. I don't want to give away too much, but I can say, don't worry too much for Balin. :) he'll be back.**

 **Reviews are my precioussss...**

 **"** **Oh! Mizi-koan!" (MY EYES)**


	3. Chapter 3- The Callback

**Ta- Daaa! I did it! I finally posted this next chapter. Sorry it took much longer than anticipated. I should also give the heads up that the next chapter might take just as long. I am trying to work some over time hours to get some extra pay. That and my personal life is a mess of discord right now. But hey, we find joy in the little things like writing, reviewing, meeting new people that share the same interests. (^_^) So YES! Here is the next one.**

This morning I wake up to the nice sound of NO MORE SNORING! NO noise being made is what wakes me up. Normally it's the opposite, but I had finally grown used to the….lulling snores of my newest companions here, that when it stopped, it caught my attention enough to creak my eyes open at what's going on now. It's a whole lot of nothing. Just yawns, scratches, sniffles, grunts and more smelling the air. 'Are they expecting some hyacinths to be here?'

Well, they're not telling me to get up yet, so maaaybe I can roll over for another thirty minutes of sleep? It is longer than that, but sadly I stayed in that half awake half asleep twilight zone where you don't really enjoy either. So it didn't help all that much.

Then there's ever polite Dori across the way. "Miss Alicia? We'll be departing again soon."

Picking up my head to eye the three brothers, Dori greets me with a semi-sleepy smile. Ori is too engrossed in getting out some tangle in his laces, while Nori Re-adjusts his duster and tucks the long sleeves of his shirt inside the gloves I really want to try on for myself. He nods once when our eyes meet before flicking back to his work again.

Up I get to do the same. Finger combing through my hair, shaking out and dusting off my bedroll and folding back into a scarf/sash, and taking the offered oatmeal with gratuitous thanks, I start to finally wake up fully. "Sleep well?" I ask any of them.

I got snorts for a reply, and some un-intelligible grumbling.

"That's nice." I half joke. Who'd have thought there would be such a huge difference still between camping in a tent versus literally under the stars.

"He ought to be waiting for us at his companion's home by now I'd wager. We are supposed to be there by this eve." Dori answers as he stands up. I try to hide my smile at his face from the obvious popping his back must be making.

'Heh, old man problems.' Actually that's not all that funny because if my guessing is correct, it's about to get worse on this quest. And he's probably still in better shape than my skinny, hardly any muscle, out of shape when running, 'trying to watch my figure' excuse for not putting a little junk in my bony trunk.

The well worn dirt road is as comforting as having my GPS in a new town. The meadow gradually becomes more of a hill-scape, with the roads a little more winding. The river still glittering in the beautiful day, running alongside us as we press forth through The Shire.

Then there it is. The famous Brandywine bridge. Looking like any other properly maintained bridge. Watching the river as we walk over it, I can spot a few water bugs and minnows dashing about. I wonder if they catch any river trout or sun perch in there.

Ori is just as curious as me as we walked along the packed dirt roads of Hobbiton. Some of the folks giving us weird looks, trying to sell something or ignoring us. I know I stick out better than a sore thumb, being the tallest, the lankiest, and without the excuse of being a wizard. He should be pretty easy to spot out here in this very open and spread out town. Seeing the markets makes me want to go shopping like I am at a convention, but thankfully the urge is short lived as I follow the Ri brothers around. Ahead of me Nori and Dori were grumbling at each other again, while Ori hung in the back with me a little.

"Miss Alicia? Yester eve, you mentioned 'God'. May I ask who it is you worship?"

I smile kindly to him. "I don't mind at all. It is Father God, who gave his son Jesus Christ so that we'd all have salvation. In which we learn about in the good book, The holy bible. Hence, The Trinity."

"So he is the God of Trinity? Is he new to the Valar?" Ori looks up at me with his cute little confused, slightly cross-eyed face.

"Uh. No." I start slowly. How do I phrase this without sounding belittling?...I scratch my ear as I try to pick my words carefully. " Father God is the, the one and only Creator. The Valar are, at least the way they're told to me, are guardians."

"So, Father God is another name for Eru?" Ori tries again.

'Good question Ori. I don't know if that's what Tolkien was going for or not.'

With a small smile down to him, I say, "I don't think so. I don't know enough about all The Valar to really say."

The youngest Ri's lips purse in his thoughts, but thankfully he stops that sort of questioning for now.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't here long enough to memorize the color of every door or sign." Nori grumps up ahead, shielding his eyes from the sun as he peers around.

Dori lets out some exasperated sigh, one hand covering the half of his face as he faced the other way. "He says it's a green door with the mark on it."

"Great. Ya know what else is green? The grass. The trees. The shrubs. The hills. ALL of which can be marked with something." Nori quips.

"Are we lost again?" I ask in a half joking manner. I am answered with grumbles that sound much more animal then people. "I take that as a yes." Seriously, I don't think there were even syllables in whatever growling they were making. My brows furrowed a little at it. Then again, Tolkien's books or PJ's movies were not that detailed about dwarven sounds and subtle behaviors.

They kept walking with Ori and I trailing behind them. Eventually we even passed by the famous Green Dragon Inn. It looked like some rendering right out of a video game. A beautiful carving of a wooden dragon decorating the entrance and painted green, of course. None of the buildings at the renaissance festival compare to it. It was a rather peaceful place, seeing a table of men chatting idly around it, then on the opposite of the building one of the hobbit workers sweeping clean the patio. I wish I had some orchestral music to play along, or the hobbit theme song.

"Why don't we ask someone for directions?" I offer.

"We're not in that much trouble. We're fine." Nori replied. Nobody objected to his stubbornness. Typical dudes, not wanting to just ask for directions and just keep being lost longer. Or typical woman wanting to ask directions.

"I'm getting hungry." Ori murmered when we stopped to 'take a break'. Nori glanced once at him, shuffled through some bag slung at his side and pulled out something wrapped in wax paper.

"Here ya go Ori. Take this."

Ori accepted curiously as he opened it to reveal slightly mushed little pies that reminds me of what my family would call alu-pies. He smiled in approval after gingerly nibbling one.

Dori was not smiling though as he watched Nori. "And where did you get that? We never packed any of that. You stole it didn't you. When did you even get the chance to do that?" He shook his head. "Can't keep your hands to yourself for five minutes."

"Of course not. In fact, I did it for three hours." Nori said with mock pride. "Can't have my family starving now can I?"

"You can't use that excuse anymore either." The eldest droned. His right hand shot up palm facing Nori. "Shut up."

"Twas from the bakery, they're not going to miss it."

"Shut. Up."

I shared a mildly amused look with Ori. The quiet dwarf simply smiled shyly back, he holds out his hand to offer one of the little pies to me. Oh sweet little Ori. I'd steal you away myself.

I take one with a quiet thank you. Once it is done, I turn back to the older brothers. All bunched shoulderd and grumpy frowns. "Ahem. So we are looking for Gandalf's friend. That happens to have a green door. How many people are Gandalf's friend around here?"

"Mahal knows." Dori answers. "Most folks don't have much to do with meddling wizards."

"Well that should narrow it down some right? Someone might know which way a wizard went if we ask." I offer as I stand up. "I'll go ask someone while you rest your feet."

Off I go towards the nearest group of people. I don't know how the brothers feel about it, but at least they aren't stopping me.

I did manage to find a hobbit lady with an outrageous hat on her head like she took the whole flower bouquet and slapped it on her head. She was walking down the street perpendicular to me. I smiled at her with a wave. "Excuse me miss. I'm a little lost."

"Oh Yavanna!" One of her hands flew to her nose as her face creased in a rather comical scowl. I'd laugh if it wasn't directed at me. I've got to be ten feet from her, surely I don't stink that bad. "Horrid, filthy Man-child. What do you want from me?!"

"… I was just going to ask for directions." I say, my smile faltering a little.

"the green dragon Inn is that way!" she pointed.

"Yes I got that. But I am looking for a friend, and they're not there. His name is Gandalf. Tall man all in gray?" I describe, trying not to take offence to this woman for acting like I am a walking black plague.

"What makes you think I would know anything about that? I haven't seen anything of the sort." She snapped. Her eyes trailing up and down me judgmentally. "Off with you and your stench, and hooligan attire like some Wild Man."

"Jeeze can't a girl ask a question?" I grumble as I walk past her, glaring right back. "Mean old lady, which your table cloth dress and flower pot head." I grumble as I look around again.

"Why I never!" She shrieked as she must have heard my grumbling. Oh that's right, hobbits have great hearing. "Who are you to insult me so you vagabond ragamuffin?! You're worse than my wayward cousin. The two of you might get on splendid. Oh the nerve of you young ones today!"

"The nerve of you old folks these days!" I couldn't help but shoot back. "With all your stereotypes and grudges." I whirl back with my own glare. "Why don't you just say 'I don't know' next time instead of being so rude?" Her shoulders shook as if she just literally had her feathers ruffled. I took a little glee in the fact that she had to bend her head back a lot just to look up at me. "I'll thank you to leave me alone now."

If I didn't know any better, I could have sworn her eyes had just changed. They looked to be going from the typical round pupils to the slit eyes of a cat. In fact she even hissed at me like one! I stared dumbly at her for a beat until her hissing went louder and she swung her hands at me so fast it looked as if her slim finger nails were pointing into claws.

"Oh nonono! So much no!" I yelp as I pin on my heel and dash away so fast. I already knew Middle earth had foul people, it was always a pretty clear line between the good and bad. I had forgotten that Middle earth still has it's own Rudeness Everdeen here and there.

There has to be someone with a little more grace for someone just asking for directions. I did see another old lady hobbit walking on the path below me. She seemed a friendlier sort, I hope. So, I take the risk and go to her, this time standing further away. "Um, excuse me ma'am. Sorry to bother you. I was hoping to get some directions please?" I ask trying to slap together my best manners.

"Hm? Where are you trying to go?" The old lady smiled up at me.

"Thank you. I am looking for a friend. Gandalf. Tall man dressed in grey. I was wondering if you might have seen him come this way?" I ask.

The old lady hobbit taps her chin. "Gandalf? Last I saw him was some thirty or forty years ago. Maybe even more so? Sorry. I haven't seen him." She smiles apologetically.

Man, that's a bugger. I cast a glance over my shoulders, making sure the dwarves were well out of earshot for my next question. And they are. "Do you happen to know where a Mister Bilbo Baggins might be?"

"Ah! Now that I do. Keep going down that way. Follow the fence down to the first fork in the road and take the right road all the way down and there'll be a hobbit hole upon a hill with a green door." She said confidently.

"Oh thank you ma'am." I reply happily before biding farewell and carrying on.

I return to see the Ri brothers, lounging around the tree in such a laid-back, not-a-care-in-the-world attitude that I am rather happy to see. Get them while you can. Dori watches me approach, the corners of his mouth pulled into a small pout. "What did that first woman say to you?"

"Oh, uh. She was just being a mean old lady." I wave it off. "Someone must have spat in her coffee earlier today."

"Mean indeed." Dori huffed.

"Dori was just about to march down there and give the wench what she deserved if she kept changing like that." Nori smirked. "Would 'ave liked to 'ave seen that."

"Anyhow! Let's keep going." Dori changed subject as he hoisted himself to his feet.

I decided to take the lead then, hoping they wouldn't mind so that I could subtly guide them by the directions I was given. It surprises me just how spacious The Shire really is. Just walking across a large parking lot to get to work from the apartment is considered a long walk back home. Having to walk The Shire will put ANYONE in shape. It's probably what allows these people the affordability of seven meals a day. The hours sort of drag y at times, or hardly noticed at others until things start to 'glow' again under the evening sun. Daylight creature's calls are replaced with nocturnal creatures. Even some of the night bugs are different here.

"Come along Miss Alicia." Dori calls out while I was admiring a butterfly. It was a GREAT moth it was. It was large like a Luna moth, only had these orange specks and reddish lines. I have never seen anything like it so yes, I have no shame in being distracted by it for a little bit.

I catch up to them quickly though. "You found which way to go?" I ask.

"Some of our kin are near. We must be close." Dori replies as they walked a little faster.

"Really? How do you know? You see them?" I look ahead to see if I could see what they saw.

"No, not yet. Their smell is still fresh though." He said that to me, implied that his kin already stank. Aww, man. I was hoping I wouldn't have to smell the infamous B.O. till later.

I couldn't help but take a whiff in the air too, though for me it was clear as glass. My brows knit together as I side glance at them. Were they just so used to it that they knew how to be more, sensitive to the correlation?

"Can you tell how much further?" My curiosity gets the better of me.

"Roughly two hundred yards or less." Dori guessed as he sniffles. Nori is beside Ori, who is beside me. The middle brother's sharp eyes scanning around us as he walks silently with us. Ori looked around as marveled as me.

I follow along with them, wondering if it would be the full company or just the few like in the movie. I still wonder though; will Bilbo allow baths in his house if they really stink so bad? Oh, and bad breath is the absolute worst for me to deal with though. Please let no one have bad breath.

Around a tree line bend, I start to hear grumbling voices too. We walk around the trees, and sure enough! There they are! Only six people so it must be the movie version. That thought takes me back to previous thoughts I had during my night by the lake. I needed some clarification on my own situation. How much of this was real for instance? Am I caught up in some LARPING festival, or is this some cruel joke because I am in a coma somewhere? The most hopeful man to ask was standing just ahead of me now. Next to the dwarves he stuck out like an albino buffalo in the herd. I remember that my alias is a seer-in-training for most, but hopefully for him I can be completely honest.

He slowly turned our way, greeting the four of us with a wrinkled smile. "Ah. Welcome! That makes eight of us now. We'll wait a few more minutes and see if the others will join us. Otherwise I deem they're waiting on us."

Nori saunters up to his old drinking friend, clasping arms in greeting and then joking about the rough travel.

Their grisly old healer waves his hand in a short greeting at us with a bob of his head. His younger brother unfolding his arms as he lumbered up from his squat down position. "It's about time, last ducklings." He teases. His eyes fall on me lastly and his reddish teddy-bear face. His head is tilted back some and for a moment I remember my height difference might make the possible bad breath not a problem for me. "Who's this then?"

I smile down at him. "Hello. How are you?"

He bristles briskly. "I'm right fair my lady. Thanks for your concern. Gloin. Son of Groin. At your service." He bends half way. "Thing is, I was not told of a lady joining us." He frowns a little. Everyone is looking at me by this time.

"I am Alicia, a pleasure meeting you. I was searching for a Gandalf the Grey. Mister Dori said he'd be here and allowed to travel with his brothers to find him." I say politely.

The gray clad wizard taps his staff absentmindedly. "Oh? Well you have indeed found him. Pray tell why you are searching for me?"

With another smile his way, I answer. "Mind if I speak with you alone? It shouldn't take too long. As I see you have business to attend to."

Gandalf nodded and turned on his heel a little way away from the group where I followed suit. I easily ignored all the eyes following me, rather used to being stared at. "Hello. So here's my situation. I am from a town called Tod Mission. I'm an actress, or performer by profession having just finished a new feature film. From what I can tell, it's incredibly far from here. I got here so unexplainably sudden that I can't tell if I am in a long-term reenactment or these people are really dwarves and you're really a wizard. Where I'm from, all this is fairytales. But orcs are real, as I discovered when I first got here. Truth is I am very lost, and yet I know some knowledge about Middle earth because I read about it in a book once. Even….why the dwarves are here." I say in the lowest voice I think I can use and him still be able to hear me. His face says that he can hear me, with the widening of the eyes and the raised brows. I pause to allow that information to sink in and continue when he doesn't say anything yet. "They think I am a beginner Seer because they spotted this before I put it away." From my bag at my feet I tactfully show him my keychain. His face scrunches back into a thinking frown. "So that's how I got here. My dilemma is that I am not completely sure if everything around me now is truly real. Is this a new movie set or festival? And how do I get back home?" I conclude.

I just verbally threw up on Gandalf and he needs a moment to clean out his ears. So I stand there, patiently waiting for him to sort it all out in his head. Shortly, he resumes eye contact with me within beats. "I believe your story, farfetched as it is. You are not from here, that much is certain. I can also assure you Arda and all that you have seen is quite real. Rare as it is, I have heard before of people crossing hidden rifts to another. So rare it is however that my knowledge on it is scarce. I am sorry my dear, but I cannot send you back home." He says softly, his eyes shine with the genuine emotion of sympathy. I can't be mad at him for not being able to do it. Wizards are not all powerful… or all-knowing either.

My shoulders do drop. If he didn't have a slightest idea, it really narrowed down my rays of hope.

"Do not despair yet. I will aid you in however I may." The wizard adds on next. "Your claim as a seer though. We shall continue that." He glances at the dwarves mingling just behind us. "Do you wish to join our company, through it's entirety?"

I make a one shoulder shrug as I teeter on my feet. "I am still unsure about joining the 'ENTIRETY'. What if some random chance for me to go back home happens before then? But I don't know what else to do until then. Or where to go."

Gandalf nods sagely once. "Then I ask that you accompany me for the time being, so that I may help you as I say I would. I suppose you have some time still to make up your mind for certain."

"Oh. I almost forgot too. They think I am a seer because of this 'dream' I had…" Which I proceed to explain to him. "Does that complicate things?"

"Perhaps for you." Gandalf says cryptically. I should have known he'd hit me with his wizardly answers. "I do not yet know how Thorin may react to this. Let us carry on shall we?" He smiles.

I turn around with him to rejoin the others. The dwarves were watching us expectantly, probably waiting to get going already.

"A proper introduction is in order before we depart. Miss Alicia, allow me to introduce Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Oin and you've met his brother Gloin already." Gandalf sweeps his arm out to them.

Bifur said something in Khuzdul about me, which I can only assume since he's still looking at me.

"Aye. I think I like sweet rainwater too." Bofur agrees smiling his funny smile at me. Sounds like he was just humoring his cousin.

With a nod, the wizard took the lead with the rest of us trailing behind.

"I still don't think this is a good idea. These people are clearly far too gentle for what we need." Dori says.

"We'll know fer cerain when we see 'em." Bofur reassures. It does no good really, but he is the overly optimistic one in the group after all.

"There had better be ale there." Gloin grumbles.

"And perhaps a proper kitchen, stocked up so that we may have a real meal now." Bombur joins in just ahead of me.

"Stop your fretting. He'll have plenty of dishes for everyone. Lots of supper-" Gandalf had started, though he was cut off by a chorus of happy sounds and a speed up the hill to the infamous round, green door. I didn't follow that quickly. One, I wasn't THAT hungry. And two, I am not racing dwarves, it would be so unfair to them. Haha!

They scramble up the little walkway, making me snicker at the ever-dignified Dori bounding forth. Gandalf and I make it there to watch them shoving at each other to open the door.

"Look! It's the mark! This must be the place."

"The door nob won't work."

"Stop shoving so hard!"

Oin looks up and bats the door bell at the side twice like a playful kitten.

"Uh, why don't ya'll wait till the door open before trying to force it?" I ask, but I know I was either not heard or ignored.

Gandalf too just leaned on his staff, watching the activity with a knowing look. I decide to do the same. I am not sure if I want to be squished under that. I can't even hear his voice, though I know with bated breath that he's coming, the star of the show. Stomping up the door, yelling about poor taste in jokes until he unlocks the round door.

It swings open and down tumbles the dwarves through the opening in an even more comical pile than I have noticed in the movies. Down they tumble in a heap at our newest member of the team. Don't make fun of his furry feet or he'll steal the most important things from you…

"Gandalf." (No.)

"Bilbo Baggins!" The wizard replies. (YES!)

The pile blocking the entrance doesn't seem to be clearing and just standing there staring at them kinda makes me feel like a butt, so I try helping Bombur up first. The biggest guy is on top, ironic. My efforts though, are probably useless. I don't even know is I am making any difference or he's just humoring me.

In a lumbering, grumbling, bumbling mass, they picked themselves up from the floor. Each took a few seconds to introduce themselves in their formal fashion before shagging their travel bags, cloaks, etc. and making themselves right at home.

Gandalf, ever the gentleman, waits for me to pass first. I also must duck to enter and am at least able to stand straight in the main halls and rooms, and only tilting a little under an archway. It was funny watching Bilbo's fretting about on screen, not so much seeing it in front of me. I am wincing at the poor guy's near faint or blowing a gasket from the controlled yet happy chaos. The round door is shut behind me, watching it close starts to feel like that 'no turning back' moment for me. This is it and I am really here, and really doing this.

 ** _HYACINTHS- A BEAUTIFUL, ANNUAL TYPE OF CLUSTER OF FLOWERS, RANGING FROM PINK TO BLUE, WITH A VERY STRONG SWEET SMELLING AROMA. (I KNOW THIS BY EXPERIENCE. BOUGHT ONE FOR MY MOM AND THE SCENT IS INCREDIBLY POTENT.)_**

 ** _So That was Chapter 3. Sorry if it didn't seem like too much was happening just yet. But I'm not finished yet either. Your reviews are my preciousesss. XD._**


	4. Chapter 4- Cue-to-Cue

**Success! We did it guys! New chapter finally up! It took some time but at least I got it up. I would like to keep my chapters at a 4,000-ish word count each so sorry if they are a little shorter than normal. Thank you so much for the reviews too!**

 **SortingHat...your reviews. They make me laugh. I love Legend of Zelda too. For a while I was addicted to Breath of the Wild. THIS however, is NOT Hyrule. It's Middle Earth. So no. She can't just make a potion or Elixir at a random campfire after killing some hobgoblins. And yes, this story has some humor in it, jokes included. and yes, it is 'serious' enough to say it's fanfiction.**

 **Thank you Horrorfan13. Yes I do intend on continuing :)**

 **Thank you Illogical Human. Haha. I think you just have good timing too. I hope this chapter is to your liking.**

 **Outoftheworldgal. Romance, I have not quite decided yet..and as for your second question. Well, I hope not to keep you waiting too long to find out :D**

 **Chapter 4- Cue-to-Cue**

When the door shuts, the noise is increased an octave or two since now wavelengths can only bounce along the walls instead of having some place to escape. Heh, imagine explaining wavelengths to dwarves like we are back in high school again. The round house echoes with the low murmuring of people looking for stuff or getting familiar with where things are and where everyone should be. Quickly I back-peddle out of the way before I cause some traffic jam while I assess my new surroundings too.

"It's about time you showed up. Maybe I might get a proper explanation for these dwarves in my house all of a sudden." Bilbo stares up at Gandalf expectantly.

"Why, my dear Bilbo I did tell you this morning that I would be telling the others." Gandalf replies as if it was obvious. The wizard ventures into the dining room that was already getting crowded with a few others.

The hobbit certainly disagrees too. "'The others'? Hardly and explanation for this I daresay. I could have had the house well prepared for twelve dwarves had you been a little more specific." The poor hobbit gripes.

"Excuse me sir." I step up. It really does make me sympathize to see him so stressed. "I am sorry about this. I'll help with something if you'd like."

Bilbo turns fully to face me with a loo of shock on his face, one like the look he makes at seeing Bifur's axe for the first time. "Oh. Hello Miss." He stumbles in his cute awkwardness.

"Good evening to you Mister Baggins. I am Alicia S. Gardner. Nice to meet you." I introduce myself in the common fashion they like to do around here.

"Ah yes. Good evening Miss Alicia. At least someone has decent manners around here." The poor hobbit sighs, looking far too overwhelmed for my liking.

"Oi pass the jam already!"

"Toss that plate 'ere!"

Bilbo's head whips back to the room where all the noise is coming from. "NO no! Don't toss ANY of my plates!"

"My offer still stands." I remind to Bilbo.

"No no. I can't very well call myself a Baggins if I were to make my guests do the hosting. Thank you for the offer. Sweet rainwater is a lovely scent. I have to save my things before they get broken. Please excuse me." The hobbit scurries off quickly chasing after some of the dwarves with many 'put that back!' and 'Don't play with those!'

"That's Grandpa Bungo's chair it's not for sitting on!"

"I cannot hear what ya're saying laddie."

Bilbo gasps as he sees his pantry being raided, Bombur walking out with the cheese wheels.

Passing by me is Gandalf who walks out of the dinning room, hitting his head on the chandelier just like he deserves. As each person passes by with something in their hands, he began to mutter names under his breath while Bilbo tries his best not to have a heart attack. While Gandalf chats it up with the others, food is sounding good to me too. Honestly, I am glad Bilbo didn't have me do anything, as I am already feeling tired and fading fast. I doubt it, but maybe I might catch a quick nap before the most important stuff happens.

I take in a deep inhale, trying to keep my own thoughts as orderly as possible. I see Dori's dazzling silver head pop from around the wall. He comes my way with a little serving tray I have no idea where he got. "Chamomile tea Miss Alicia?"

"Yes please. Thank you." The cup is still nice and hot, steam coming from the top as I accept it from the tray.

He neck moves forth half an inch, his head back more, probably more out of habit than actual necessity considering he is 5 feet, five inches….which is lower than my breasts since my height is five feet nine ten inches. "You haven't gotten anything to eat yet."

"Uh no. I was just waiting my turn, when the crowd disperses a little."

Dori snorts lightly. "The crowd is not going anywhere Miss Alicia. You best go through it and get something now." His neatly combed brows quirk up pointedly.

"True." I agree with his already mother 'henning' advice.

Dori silently excuses himself to take his own advice, off with his little serving tray and teapot. The very emblematic act that has painted his image and cannon in my world.

Slinking around the corner, I try to locate the safest route to the pantry just so I can have a turn to raid it too. I am blocked suddenly by a wine barrel being passed in front of my by two other dwarves, the young-uns.

"Pardon us my lady." The blonde haired one in front smiled kindly up to me. His braided mustache swaying with his swagger walk.

Behind the barrel was the black haired archer, firstly with a concentrated frown on his face till his eyes finally wind their way up to hers. "Share a drink with us?" He smiles.

"Heh, no thank you. Food first." I politely decline, letting them pass by first. The two brothers keep on going, clearing the path for me to slip in. I meet Bifur and Nori just on the other side of the stand alone shelf.

Bofur gently taps me on the elbow. "Excuse me lass, just gotta get past ya." He whispers as we wiggle around to let each other pass. Bifur grabbed a platter of sliced fruit before exiting to help set the table.

Bifur shows some sort of sweet roll and then grabs a stalk of what looks like romaine lettuce. He says something my way, shaking the stalk as if saying something. Nori looks over his shoulder. "He says grab while you can. One dwarf can eat for three humans." Nori says to me.

I pick up a plate from the stack at the corner and start piling up everything I can recognize. At the end of it, I got an apple, small tomatoes, strawberries, sliced cucumbers, honeyed ham slices, and a slice of pie because I can. Soon enough the table the dwarves all gathered around gets full like an overcrowded feast. And feast they did do! Food was tossed about while some still piled things on their plates.

As I try to get by, somebody let out some rather vicious sounding growl like if someone was trying to take back a territorial dog's bone. It makes me whirl back at them in alarm. Sure enough it is Gloin, glaring daggers at Fili and Kili who apparently tried to do that exact thing or worse. I don't really know, but I am not sticking around to find out. Gloin's growling dies down to actual words as he grumbles about the two brothers who try to feign innocence. Still, let me get out of the way before I learn first hand why not to block hungry dwarves from food.

The weird sounds have me watching them a little more warily. For instance, why did Bifur just nuzzle Ori like a teddy bear for a moment? Was it the alternative to head butts since most of Bifur's forehead is occupied by an axe?

Suddenly Oin had materialized on my right and I squirmed ungracefully to get out of his way with his swinging platters. In my moment of panic, I try to avoid hitting them, by bumping into Dori who is walking behind me at the time. The poor dwarf didn't say anything and had to do little more than a gentle push back to right my balance. Though that is probably because I am a twig that has even little effect on him than a chiwuawa on his ankle.

Suddenly from my right comes another hulking form. The big warrior with tattoos to show off has such an impassive face, clearly not bothered by the fact that I nearly jumped out of my skin to bump into him and lose my food on him. He raises one wiry brow at me, piercing eyes peering upwards to meet my own. "Excuse me." I smile from natural reaction as I try to again move out the way. The way his nostrils invert a little when he does the sniffy, nose wiggly thing at me, but his beady eyes also widen suddenly as if a light bulb just went off in his head. Strange. The couch in the sitting room was free of people and out of the way, so that is where I go to enjoy my own meal. Sitting down on it, I am pleasantly surprised at its soft cushion.

I just took a bit of a biscuit when My view is blocked by the burly chest of the same dwarf. He was eyeing me suspiciously. "You." He rumbles.

"Huh?" I reply dumbly, mostly over the noise someone else was making.

"You came from the great lake didn't ya?"

"I was there, yes." I try to say as calmly as I can manage, being under the scrutiny of a guy who looks like he's about to pommel me just with his words.

"You were the one leading the orcs away, even camped out in the ruins weren't ya?" The warrior interrogates.

"Yes. How'd you know?"

One of his burly arms comes to rest on his hip as he eyes me like I just got my hand caught in the cookie jar. "Followed yer scent of course. Ya left an easy trail ta follow too."

My head tilts abruptly with an odd look at his weird explanation.

"Now now brother. Don't be a browbeat." Another voice interrupted our staring contest. From behind Dwalin, stepped his older brother. Dear old Balin, smiling his cordial, fatherly smile that reached up to his bright eyes. Inside I nearly jump with joy at seeing him, completely different than our first meeting. "Balin, at your service. This is my brother Dwalin." He makes a half bow, not quite the flourishing one he made in the movie, since now he is holding his own platter in one hand. "I am told you are called Alicia."

"Yes. I am." I smile as I set aside my plate to try and make the same proper bow. "Nice to meet you at less life-threatening circumstances. How's your leg?"

"Much better thank you." Balin says shifting his weight easily. He steps up a step. "Would you care for some company over supper?"

"Not at all." I say grabbing up my plate, sitting down and scooching over. Not that the couch wasn't large enough that the three of us couldn't fit on it, but the gesture meant to be inviting which is what I was going for. Dwalin instead took the seat on the other side, Balin takes the invitation to sit next to me. Imagine, an actor who has done a couple of action adventure movies myself, still getting the fangirl butterflies in my belly. He just seems every bit the grandfatherly guy that people admire about him. Thankfully, I remember my skills and I can hide my giddiness enough to just a content smile. On the other side of the house, Bilbo stares in a mix of shock and disdain at his now empty as a canyon pantry. He doesn't know that it is a good thing. One less problem to hold him back from joining the company. He sighs and goes down the hall to his room for a few minutes.

Not to be rude about the Ri brothers' cooking, but oh my gosh is it good to have an actual meal and not the bland campfire meals I had last night. Though I suppose I should get used to it. It makes me eat slower to enjoy my food.

"I am much relieved and surprised to see you here Miss Alicia." Balin says at my side. "Dori has told me you all met on the road, and that you're a seer of sorts?"

'Of sorts'? Yeah that's one way to put it. "He's right. I have had a questionable vision that I wanted more guidance on. So I was searching for Gandalf." My eyes fall on the wizard habitually as I spoke of him.

Dwalin snorts from in front of us, probably thinking of me as the starry-eyed amateur full of whimsical nonsense. I take no offence to it. I'd be lying to myself if it didn't have an ounce of truth to it.

"So you made it here with no more troubles then?" I ask.

"Aye thank Mahal. Once my brother and I were re-united, we had little more trouble with orcs. We tried to follow your trail, which proved difficult once we reached the lake, what with rainwater smelling near the same as lake water and all. The remains of a fire under some ruins affirmed we were still going the right way. Good that it was you found my kinsmen, also lost on the road." Balin chortles a little at that. I smile still, glad that he did not press to learn more about my 'visions' just yet.

"Who wants an ale?" The eldest prince yells from across the way, climbing on top the table. Even now I grimace at that. Stomping all over the peoples' food. Glad I am not sitting there. Dwalin jumps up from his spot, making his way there to grab one.

"Does that happen all the time?" I can't help but ask Balin. I'd be pissed to see people walking all over my food at home.

"During parties mostly." Balin smiles. "Dwarves are not known for their table manners in the slightest." He explains to me.

"But walking on the food people have to eat?" I pout.

"Oh it will still be eaten don't you fret over that." The old dwarf replies, his eyes switching targets from his mug to Dwalin pouring some ale in Oin's ear trumpet.

"At least that's true. Still, boot seasoned bread does NOT sound appealing, or healthy." I mumble.

Balin chortles a little as he side-glances my way. "Says the lass with a slice of pie?"

"Boot mud FREE slice of pie I might add." I joke back.

Everything went silent as mug were knocked back for people to spill more than they're were drinking down their beards and shirts. And of course, the burping contest.

Even Dori sitting beside Oin laughed at the shenanigans. I thought for sure he might jump up and yell about how disgusting it was.

Balin cleans his mouth with some handkerchief. He stands up and turns my way. "I owe you thanks lassie. You saved my life." His hand extends out to me.

"You don't owe me anything. They're gone. We're safe. That's what matters." I reply as I shake his hand. His soft gloved hand wraps around mine easily, though he doesn't let go like I expected he would from a handshake. Instead, he bends halfway, bringing the back of my hand to his nose. The dwarf takes a deep inhale of my skin first, following it up with a kiss. Oh my….romanticist much?

I have no words for this….I have no idea how to react. Is that customary here? Should I have done that with Dori and his brothers? During my bafflement, Balin takes up both empty plates and leaves to join the others now polishing off their plates.

"…Gandalf?" I jump up quickly. "GANDALF!?" Where did that wizard go? Flitter about, dodging a few lone dwarves and find him in some other room listening to Bilbo's complaining about the awful state of his home.

"Really can't you draw a line somewhere with these tricks and surprises of yours Gandalf? Preferably at the privacy of another's own home?" Bilbo storms past me with Gandalf in tow.

"Now Bilbo. You must give them a chance." The wizard says. "You used to love surprises."

"I'm not a fauntling anymore Gandalf." Bilbo snaps over his shoulder. "Everyone nearly smells like each other. A whole pack in my house against one Beta."

I catch my own breath before trying to get Gandalf's attention. Bilbo still looks just as flustered as the first time I saw him, if not two steps closer to blowing a gasket. "Beta?" I mimic out loud.

"I don't understand what they are doing in my house!" Bilbo continues. His eyes skirt to me. "Yes Miss Alicia. A lone peace-loving Beta, now with a whole pack taking over his home territory."

"… _Whaaaaat?_ " I sing under my breath. Confusion at it's finest in my head. I flip through my memories to see if I can recall Bilbo having ever made mention of the wolf hierarchy in the books or the movies. "I don't remember….any mention….what are you talking about?" I ask incredulously, hopefully not sounding too rude.

"Excuse me. I'm sorry to interrupt, but what should I do with my plate?" Ori suddenly steps forth.

I inwardly cringe, both for Bilbo's new heart attack about to happen and for my questions going unanswered again. Fili comes up to take the plate and frisbee it at Kili, who throws it at Bifur. I loved how Bifur catches the dishes without having to look but I really want to know HOW he detected them so accurately. But again, I'll have to ask later, now it's time for me to dodge dishes.

Bilbo asks those at the table to stop their clash of the knives for fear of bunting them. Next is Bofur's teasing and singing. Now everyone's singing and throwing stuff. Dwalin standing behind Bombur who acts like the garbage disposal.

The singing and jigs as they make quick work of their mess is still very catchy and very hard not to get caught up in the fun of watching this party game, the ultimate in improv exercises. Unless of course this is my unprepared house they're doing this all in and then I might be more like Bilbo. Soooo any plates are tossed about and stacked neatly. I don't even remember them having to use so many just for sixteen people altogether. The circular walls of the home echoes with their laughter at the end as Bilbo pushes his way forth. The hobbit displays amazing control over his temper that I have never noticed before. In my world I'd imagine a lot of people would be beating (or shooting) the dwarves out of the house a long time ago, cleaned up kitchen or no. My own happy smile stays on my face as I watch them all. I sincerely hope that there will be more happy times like this on the Quest. I can't remember if ever their joy was this much again. The little party at Rivendell is probably the only other one. Only until the demanding pounds on the door does my smile fade. All voices quieted for all eyes to turn towards the front.

"He's here." Gandalf announces, as if it isn't obvious. Man, I really wish the party could have gone on a little bit longer. Or maybe not completely end and let Thorin join in for a little and maybe he won't be so grumpy with his 'The hell Gandalf. Why does the burglar live in a labyrinth?' attitude.

In my goofy mind I just imagine Keisha's song 'the party don't start till I walk in…' come on just as Thorin walks through the door. There he is though, shrugging off his cloak, eyeing the hobbit with that aloof stare. Poor Bilbo had not even noticed that there is in fact a mark carved into his door, for everyone to see hence forth. Thorin casts his blue eyes over the gathering of his kin, showing off one of his all-too-rare smiles at them.

Dori and Ori bow their respects as he walks by. Though I do wander why Dwalin never does. Might be because of his rank I suppose.

"So this is the hobbit." His words wash over the room. I hide my smirk. Yes Thorin, The Hobbit. I do happen to notice his deep-toned voice, also sounding like a growl when he grumbles. It might be just the lighting in the room too, but Thorin's face looks smoother, younger even and almost….kinder than I remember. That could be because I can only recall how he looked in the last movie. Crazy-eyed, gold fevered, killer Thorin is the guy I recall. His grocer joke still isn't all that funny.

Gandalf ushers everyone at the long table where Thorin is served a bowl of soup with some side of breads and meats if I saw correctly. Everyone shuffles inside behind them. I see that the place is already crowded with them sitting shoulder to shoulder, and I'm fine here on the couch anyway. All eyes turned towards Thorin as he eats his soup, eager to learn the news of why he was delayed in the first place.

"They will not come." He delivers the disheartening blow to their spirits. I watch shoulders and heads drop. They don't realize right now that it wouldn't have made any difference even if they had come. As Gandalf is about to point out, Smaug wouldn't recognize a hobbit's smell and thus would give him the best chance. They'd send him down there by himself regardless of an army at their backs. The wizard starts to fill Bilbo in on the more serious business of their visit.

"Aye! Oin has read the portents, and the portents say it is time." Gloin says adamantly. He gets a few groans in response, and an over exaggerated eye-roll from Dori. Heh. That's right. Dwarves are also a superstitious lot. Reminds me of the Puritans. I'm glad not all are so paranoid though.

"Ravens are returning to the mountain, as it was foretold. When the birds of yore return, the reign of the beast shall end." Oin follows up, reminding me how he's the most superstitious of them all no doubt.

Bilbo had quietly slinked away at the time to find more light than the one candle. Had he not have to pass me by I wouldn't have noticed him either. The hobbit and I share a look when we both hear Oin's ominous prophesizing.

"Excuse me. What beast?" Bilbo chirps behind them.

I finish up the last of my tea, smiling behind the cup in great amusement at both Bofur's explanation and Ori's sudden boast of bravado. Balin, ever the realist, brings them all back to one of the many problems ahead. Although he did not mean to be humorous, I still have trouble hiding my threatening smile when I see him make a subtle glance at Bofur when he mentions 'nor brightest.'

I don't know why Nori was the one who got the most offended by this either. It has me thinking about dwarven education. I always assumed that it was higher than typical humans in this world by far. Especially since they lived significantly longer, they had more time to learn new things. Also, weren't children and women invaluable to them? So child education sounded to me almost like a given. On the other hand, if this Nori was like the popular one in my world, he probably never had an apprenticeship since he went out….on his own adventures. Ori is the one who probably had even better education than Dori might have. The room starts echoing with argument, most comments I can hardly recognize. The Heir tries his hand at being a motivational speaker. The company gracefully listens to him and the younger prince reminding them of a wizard. It amuses me that not even Gandalf likes to be put on the spot Dori had him in.

However this second bout of arguing…. Why? I don't even know who or what starts it. Dwalin jumps up looking like he's about to throttle Nori. Bifur next to him with his fists up. Gloin making the same 'chill out' motions Nori is making. Thankfully Thorin too gets fed up, shuts them up, and gives his motivator's speech with the ease of years of practice gives one. Still, it is no match for Balin's raining on the parade, also years of practice no doubt. Gandalf shows dear Balin the key that Thorin stares at like it's the holy grail, which to them, it is. It is admirable, in my opinion, how Gandalf helps keep the door of opportunity open without pushing people through it. He brings up the idea, gives you the tools and says 'get going.' Of course I am far aware that he wasn't just doing this for the dwarves to get back their home, but still, the ability to do that in general is pretty cool to me.

"The answer lies somewhere in this map and I do not have the skills to find it, but there are others in Middle Earth who can."

"Ah, like our seer." Dori pipes up.

 _'_ _ACK! Dangit Dori, don't bring me up like that! Are you always going to have the worst timing ever you chubby pessimist!?_ '

That's what my insides are screaming and luckily, I keep it to myself. Still, the way everyone is looking at me now….is there such thing as magic that works like a defibrillator here?...

 **(0_0) (*_*) (^_^) (-_O) ( &_&) (T_T) (-_-) **

**I had decided to write the scene in more of her POV and thoughts because I think most of us knows what happens at Bilbo's house by heart by now and I find it would be boring to re-write what you already know and see on youtube. So I skimmed over much of the chit chat for now. The hope is that I can update a little sooner than I have, but I can't make any promises yet. Reviews are my cookies.**


	5. Chapter 5- Plot Twist

**Happy Easter to you! I do hope you had a great weekend. Thank you for your patience with this story too. I am a slower updater sometimes T_T But, I enjoy writing this story, and I do hope you enjoy reading it.**

 **Chapter 5- Plot Twist**

While my outer appearance is easy for me to maintain control for the most part, my insides are screaming. All pairs of eyes fall on me in almost complete unison, either neutral or frowning. Thorin turns around in his seat, looking at me with sour surprise, clear disapproval on his face.

"You did not tell me of any seer Gandalf." Thorin growls out as he looks me as if I am an oversized brown recluse. I take no offense though. I have read my fair share of fanfictions to not be too surprised by the bad mouthing about to happen. More evidence of my 'seer' abilities I say.

"Yes. I was only recently acquainted with her myself. I id not see the wisdom in turning down a young seer, especially when the aid can be of mutual benefit." Gandalf watches me with a knowing look that I knew he was hinting to our previous conversation. "Allow me to introduce Miss Alicia Gardner. Miss Alicia, this is the leader of our gathering, Thorin Oakenshield."

With a bright smile, I wave at Thorin. "Good evening." I greet with confidence.

Thorin, of course, is not so cheerful. His irritation and distrust still clear in his eyes and frown. His whole demeanor is disaffection at this whole night it seems. Perhaps it is since he was turned down by the neighboring dwarven kingdoms before coming here. He does not speak for a few seconds, only glancing between me, Bilbo and Gandalf. He turns back around in his seat dismissively before concluding, "A burglar that is more of a grocer and a seer that is more of a high-strung dreamer. You've a fascinating array of contacts Gandalf."

Again, the room rumbles with dry laughter from the dwarves around the table. Bilbo frowns in a put-out face at the reminder of the insult.

I snort lightly from my seat at his barbed sarcasm. As if he is anyone to talk. _'At least Gandalf's contacts actually want to help. Your envoys told you no.'_

"You must trust me on this." Gandalf grumbles assertively.

Thorin's blue eyes leer from the wizard to the remainder of his meal. "A seer may be of some help, if the claim is real."

"It is real." Dori speaks up, gaining all the eyes back on him. He taps the table idly as he retells the 'vision' I shared with him. He turns fully back to Thorin. "While clearly still new to the gift, I do believe it's significance, especially now that you hold that very key."

It is a surprise, that Dori would speak up on this for many reasons. To the company, it is the fact that Dori is NOT rolling his eyes at the mentions of visions since he is a guy that hardly believed in such things like portents. It is a surprise to me because he is standing up for me. Dori does not trust anyone too easily and has very good judgement of people. His support is a big one-up for me and it humbles me that in the short time of our meeting, he feels this way towards me already. Oin's wrinkled eyes meet my own, as he studies me with less judgement and more curiosity.

"Well, sounds like we've more luck on our side than we thought." Kili muses with a flick of his hand.

"Do you intend to come with us then?" Dwalin turns back at me.

Gooood question! Did I really? I want to eventually find my way back home, what if that happened before the Quest was over? Most stories don't have that happen and if they did, said person could come back. Like Outlander. "If I have to yes." I reply.

Dwalin's impassive face gives me no easy indication if he approves of that answer.

"The task I have in mind requires a great deal of stealth and no small amount of courage." Gandalf continues with a pointed second of silence at Bilbo. "But if we're careful and clever, I believe it can be done."

"It seems as though this quest requires only the best of skills. Experts I'd imagine." Bilbo speaks up, looping his thumbs behind his straps.

"And are you?" Gloin emphasizes 'you', since he knows I'm on beginner level. He is perhaps hoping Bilbo isn't.

"Am I what?" The hobbit asks dumbly instead. Oh poor Bilbo. I think even I would have caught that implication.

"He says he's an expert!" Oin jingles. Though before the others could join, Bilbo shoots it down.

"…I've never stolen a thing in my life." The hobbit defends.

"I'm afraid I have to agree with Mister Baggins." Balin speaks up next. "He's hardly burglar material.

"Aye wilds are no place for gentle folk who can neither fight nor fend for themselves." Dwalin agrees as he sizes up the both of us.

For the third time, arguing breaks out of whether or not Bilbo and I could make it. Gandlaf is the one who loses his patience, making the room darker and his voice deeper in his weird 'fee fi fo fum' magic about 'What I say goes!' I wholeheartedly agree though. Dori stood up for me and it's real encouraging when some one sticks up for another. Bilbo certainly can use all the encouragement he can get. Not to mention the dwarves could stop judging so friggin' hard all the time.

The Exiled King side glances at Gandalf with a silent huff. "Very well. We'll do it your way. Give him the contract. We shall see what use this 'seer' might be to us."

My temper flares up like a little nail polish remover thrown on a fire. Useful?! Am I a tool then? He regards Bilbo as a person but me as an inanimate object. I try to reason with myself internally that it was Bilbo tht they had come for after all and I am the third…..fifteenth, wheel that they were trying to prevent with all the secrecy going on. I heave a quiet sigh instead. I might have to get used to that and gain a tougher skin or have a tighter grip on my moodiness in the future.

Balin stands up, summarizing everything that the ridiculous contract has in it. My eyes go wide. 'It's THE contract! Oh want to see it too!' I feign disinterest until Bilbo unfolds the side flaps with the extra detail. Now that I see it for real it makes me wonder if all dwarven contracts containing immense details looked like cut up pieces of old fabric liked that.

"Incineration?" Bilbo pauses to look at them like they were crazy.

"Oh aye. He'll melt the flesh right off your bones in the blink of an eye." Bofur says.

I look back at Bilbo who seems to already be hyperventilating.

"Are you alright laddie?" Balin leans forth.

"I feel a bit faint..." Bilbo breaths out. I wonder how does 'feeling like you're about to feint really feel? Is it anything like one's blood sugar dropping dangerously low?

"Think furnace, with wings." Bofur stands up peering under the archway of the smial. Yet another famous qoute that gets turned into a bunch of comical memes later on.

'Stop talkiiiiiiing.' I hiss under my breath where only I can hear. Needless to say he doesn't, the oblivious sweet and stupid dwarf keeps going until Bilbo stands up with a 'Nope.' And falls out flat.

"Very helpful Bofur." Gandalf says drily as dwain stands up to peer around him. I get up then to help Bilbo sit up, but the poor hobbit is dead weight in my hands, luckily light dead weight. "Just put him in his armchair for me."

Bofur approaches, kneeling and easily scooping up the hobbit into his strong arms. He casts a smile that has his cheeks bunched up. The hatted dwarf carries the hobbit over to the indicated spot, me trailing behind with the contract. "'Suppose he's never been outside the Shire before, not even to Bree I'd wager." Bofur says as he sets Bilbo down gently.

"I don't know. At least not any place dangerous anyway." I answer back as I look up at him. "Did you say that to make him faint or try to help?" The golden question.

"Well, I though he didn't understand the full threat of a dragon an' all. Seemed only right to help clear his mind up a mite." Bofur reached up a hand to scratch the hair under his hat. "Ah. He'll be alright though don't ya worry none." He encourages before walking off again.

I watch him go with a humorless smirk. Sounds like he was just trying to cover up his mistake or he really was just being encouraging. Bilbo's rests in his chair, looking more like he's asleep than anything. It's such an odd feeling I can't describe, knowing someone else's future and the important role they will play and not being able to tell them. I put myself in his shoes….hairy feet, and think of someone looking at me and knowing my future before I do. Yet being still so uncertain of my own future, how can I be much of a guide to another? Only one who truly does is the good Lord of course. And he guides by faith. I wonder then if that's how I need to behave. Almost like how Gandalf does when he persuades people to act on certain choices with wisdom and not actually tell them why and how. The contract is still in my hand, I open it up, gazing at the overly long paragraphs of details trying to cover every inch possible of the long term business. The contract is not-at-all reader friendly. Accented Capital letters for ech paragraph, but in between them are tiny lettered sentences that someone might need a magnifying glass to read. I imagine Balin holding his little eye glass in one hand as he jots down the missing details here and there. There's sentences written sideways like some middle school notes from class. Then all the extra pieces, SEWN together very much like fabric more than hemp paper. I try reading some of it, and it's like listening to the ramblings of a nervous announcer.

Gandalf's approaching males me look up, greeting him with the polite smile I used to give to customers approaching the register. He returns the greeting with his own wrinkled smile. "Earl grey is one of Bilbo's favorite. A good cup does wonders for ones' nerves."

I agree with that. I enjoy a good cup myself every now and then. " Have you seen this?" I raise the contract with an entertained smile. " I've never seen an official document, put together like this before."

" They might have been short on time." Gandalf offers first.

"But they had time to sew on extra pieces?" I ask incredulously while smirking.

The wizard chortles quietly. " I don't pretend to fully understand anyone's politics. Even the rules of the game are always changing."

"Truer words never spoken." I snort back as he sits the serving tray down and takes a seat himself. "Now that we have a moment, there's some new questions I have to ask if you don't mind."

"Please ask away. Let us see if I have matching answers." The wizard supports.

"I'm afraid I am unaccustomed to many of the, social behaviors here. For example, Balin smelled my hand before he kissed it. Should I have been doing that too?" I start.

Gandalf's eyes twinkle with the same mirth as he had watching the dwarves in their plate party. His smile lines creasing more noticeably from the grin. ""Why it's a promise." Gandalf answers me as he sets aside his staff. "It is not necessary at all for Men and elves to make the same greeting, as the two Folks are not as sensitive to scents of others. No, you don't ever _have_ to do it."

"A promise, of what?" I ask, goading him for more information.

"A promise of protection, more commonly done by Alphas and Betas. They'll take in your scent and seal the promise with the peck on the hand." Gandalf clarifies. His grey eyes crinkle a little from his sudden smile at my blank face. "I assume you know nothing of the Alpha Culture."

"I do not, no. I am still unsure about that promise. Does that make him my body guard? And I'm pretty sure he knew I wouldn't have known what that meant…" I begin chewing on my lips idly.

Gandalf purses his lips. "Not body guard exactly. You pay a body guard to his job, whereas Balin is doing so without remuneration. Though just how seriously he is going to take it is up to him and you."

 _'_ _Whyyyy do I suddenly feel like someone just put a gun to the back of my head? I don't know if I really like that. No no. Firstly, it's Balin. He'll have plenty of stressors on the road simply from Thorin. He doesn't know me. I'm moody too. I can be impulsive, I make lots of naïve mistakes here and there still due to my sheltered life. Balin has no idea that he basically just took on baby sitting duty for two Thorins. And if anything should happen to me that Balin takes thee fall for, the whole company is going to be at my neck for it!_

"Are you alright Miss Alicia? You look a bit faint yourself." Gandalf raises a bushy brow.

"Uuuumm…I'm just not sure how I feel about that." I mumble as I rub my knees.

"Honored is a good start I daresay. Dwarves do not do such promises for just anyone." The wizard replies.

"I never heard of anything like that before." I look back at him.

"Hmm. It's no real secret. One of the few things dwarves do not keep to themselves since they share the same culture with hobbits." The wizard half shrugs.

"They share a culture? I though hobbits were most closely related to humans."

Gandalf looks at me like I have been living under a rock. "I thought you were a Seer Miss Alicia. Surely you have at least heard of the Alpha Culture."

"In your nine thousand years of Arda, can you claim to know everything?" I deadpan. "And no. I've never heard of that before."

The wizard heaves a soft sigh. "Well, there is much more to teach you then. For this eve I shall give the basics to you. The Alpha culture is a gift created by Yavanna in the First age. When the dark forces became too great in number, she was granted permission by Eru to bestow this gift upon her people. A gift that promotes the exact opposite of destruction and hate. The Alpha culture was created for protection and love. Aule, her husband, was amazed by this, and begged Eru and his wife to share the gift with his people, the dwarves. Eru granted his consent and so now dwarves and hobbits share in this culture. Though hobbits have always had a better control over it. Amongst the gathering here, Thorin, Balin, Dwalin, and Bifur are Alphas. Bilbo, Bofur, Fili, Oin, Gloin, Dori and Nori are Betas. Kili, Ori and Bombur are Omegas."

I blink as the information is downloaded into my mind. Now that it is more spelled out to me, things do start to make more sense little by little. "So, all the literal sniffing around like curious puppies is normal?"

"Quite so." The wizard nods.

"And the nuzzling each other and sitting close to each other every now and then?"

"Also to be expected. Hobbits and dwarves are a much more somatic and tactile in many ways than elves and Men." The wizard begins to watch me carefully. "Nuzzling is a general affection. Sometimes they even scent mark each other."

"What?" I can't help but ask, swallowing thickly. "I, I have never heard ANY of this before. There's nothing in any books I have that so much as implies that part of history."

Gandalf shrugs helplessly. "I do not know what to say or why it would be so unincluded. Are there not other races where you're from besides Men?"

I take in a deep breath. "Not outside of fairy tales."

"Oh. Well then. Perhaps it's not so surprising. Maybe you have many Energy workers in your homeland."

"…and what's that?"

"Honestly Miss Alicia." Gandalf harrumphs at me. "Do they not teach you anything useful where you're from?"

"I'm from another world Gandalf. I certainly wouldn't be surprised if Bilbo brings out some old fairy tale book of his and tells me a story about a land of flying ships and metal jungles of tall buildings." I defend myself frowning at him. "Useful to me is learning how to drive a vehicle. Useful to you is learning how to ride a horse."

"I suppose there is that." The wizard decides to let me have this one. "Energy working is a secret gift Eru gave to Men because it is humans that he favors the most. It is one that can start out as a subtle influence and becomes stronger as time passes. With discipline, Men can learn to manipulate their energies and energies around them with the power of their own feelings."

"Quantum physics?" I blurt out after his explanation.

"I know not what quantum physics are, though I assume it is one in the same since you associate the two." The wizard comments. He looks away at Bilbo's slight twitchy eyes. "It is said that those who've learned to utilize it's power can even compel those of the alpha culture."

"Oh hoooo." I reply, now starting to get what he was trying to explain. My eyes fall on Bilbo. " Bilbo said something about sweet rainwater is a nice smell. Where's he getting that from?"

"Your scent perhaps is what he was complimenting." Gandalf replies. His gray eyes also fall to Bilbo when he starts to twitch a little, coming to.

Bilbo's eyes slowly start to crack open. He blinks them clear as his eyes refocus and finds my face next. "They're still here aren't they?"

"Yes. All of us." I admit. "Gandalf made some tea for you if you'd like some." I offer, reaching for the set Gandalf had put on the small table.

Bilbo slowly, awkwardly, peeks around his chair, then slumps back into it. "Confusticate these dwarves."

His eyes fell on the wizard then. "And wizards."

Gandalf mutely huffs in half-hearted reply.

"Heh heh. He likes me." I half tease to Gandalf.

The wizard takes no offense to it, as he gives Bilbo a serving of his favorite tea. The poor hobbit takes it as if it was his respiratory machine. We all sit there in the silence, though to me it's more like that awkward silence. Gandalf turns back to the hobbit.

"Bilbo."

"Just let me sit quietly for a minute."

Another silence. My eyes drift between the two for a beat before I get up slowly. "Is there anything you'd like me to get for you Bilbo? Gandalf?"

The two of them politely decline my offer like I knew they would. Still, it is polite to offer. I decide to take the chance to roam around his house, but of course, at a much more discreet behavior.

The house was so hidden from the world, so comfortably tucked away that it feels like a perfect vacation home that performers would want to go to escape the publicity. I feel a sense of lulling comfort shrouding the back of my mind as I walk silently. Although it could just be because it is getting late. By my guessing it's around ten.

I pass by Oin complimenting Ori on his latest sketches, then Bombur sharing some snack he found with Bifur.

Turning my attention back to the house, my hand rubs against the smooth walls I pass. Bilbo's dad made this place for his wife….right?...Anyways, I admire the handy work, thinking about how and what all went into the construction of a hobbit's home. How they built things without the tools we have in my own world. I look back ahead to see the leader himself stalking away from where ever he previously was….probably telling Balin his 'I gotta do this' spill.

His blue eyes, looking darker in the dim light, are locked on me with that telltale calculative stare-off of his. I find it agitating more than intimidating right now. So I give a polite smile and dip of my head. I also can't help but notice the distasteful look on his face either as he looks at me. "Have you done much fighting?"

I would have laughed out loud at the irony, I barely manage to disguise my smile as just pursing my lips. "No." I confess and see the mild expansion of his chest from a muted sigh. "But, survival, I am more familiar with." Because I am a remorseless prepper who likes to go on dry runs for practice and takes great enjoyment on being as independent as possible.

"Where do you hail from?" He asked looking at my genetic features with scrutiny. I see him inhale through his nose slowly, reminding me of a cautious canine. I remember what the wizard had just said to me. Thorin is supposed to be an Alpha...still not entirely sure of what that means exactly. It's true, not as much people around here might have olive skin or muscular built women, and especially my accent.

"Tod Mission." I answer simply.

"I have never heard of such a place."

I make a slight one-shoulder shrug. " I've never heard of Bag-End till recently."

Thorin still doesn't seem very impressed, rather he looks like he's trying to balance bills. In other words, more burdened. "Good evening." He says before continuing his slow stroll.

That little sarcasm catches me off guard a little. Uuuuusually he's got some degrading, snappy, sardonic word bullets he vomits on everyone else who weren't invited to his secret society meeting. Then they must gear up for the radiation of anger and disrespect he'd be overshadowing them with all the time. Then again, in the book he was a more sarcastic guy than the movie.

Still, my mind goes to ideas that might help the company in some way, but honestly, unless I was an expert hunter who could bring back meat and greens every night to help save their own stocks, I doubt I'd be much more use. I am not a skilled hunter, and I have intermediate trapping skills at best. On top of that, I have no money either. I will literally be a leach to the company, taking more than I can give. I don't like that at all. I'll mooch off my family and friends but people I only just met, not cool. So much for being a good prepper now. My backpack has a lot of good stuff for one person, MRE's only for three days. What could I do to contribute SOMETHING when I didn't have visions to give?

Finding a place to sit down, I pull out my little notebook to make a list of things and ways I could help. Let's see, I'm a decent sewer when it comes to tears. So I need a small sewing kit. Maybe if I wake up early enough I might be able to visit the markets and buy some nonperishable foods like oats, and maybe some nuts. Perhaps I'll have a second medical kit as well?

After a few minutes of jotting down my notes, Bilbo comes by looking quite tired of everyone and everything. "Oh sorry Miss. Perhaps you'll stay the night too. I have a spare bedroom you can use."

"Oh well thank you Mister Bilbo, so long as I am not putting you out of your way anymore." I say, laying on the manners thick.

"It's no trouble at all. Right this way if you please." Bilbo leads the way a little bit further till we get to another door that he opens for me. He grabs some already lit candles onto a three-tier candelabra for me to have a light source on the little dressing table. "Please feel free to use anything you need."

"Beautiful bedroom. Thank you again." I say quickly. Looking back to him after setting down my back pack against a chair, I quietly ask, "Are you alright?"

"Hm? Oh I must still look sickly from my fright. Yes yes I am fine." Bilbo replies placing one hand against his face habitually.

"Uh no, you don't look sickly as far as I can tell. I realized this night was a lot thrown at you with not much of a warning apparently. I was just asking how you felt and if I might be able to help is all." I ramble in my stutter.

The hobbit looks to visibly relax as if he was holding his breath on something. "Quite kind of you to ask. You are right though. Confusticate that wizard sometimes. After some proper rest, I shall feel like myself again." He reassures me with a small smile and one of those funny nose wiggles when he sniffs awkwardly. "Right. Good night Miss Alicia." He greets before taking his leave.

Poor guy. I can't sympathize that much because I know for a fact the greatness he is about to pursue and the 'check' he is about to put Sauron in on his chess game. Yet I can't get too frustrated because this is all part of putting faith in things that seem impossible for you, the 'illogial' goals we need and want. Self doubt in anything was such a destroyer in one's life. It is the one thing that even God says he will only do so much until we stomp out the doubts in every form it takes each day. A lesson I am going to have to re teach myself from now on.

The room is just as comfortable as the rest of his home. Safe from the world, private and inviting. The bed isn't quite accommodating for someone of my height, but beggars can't be choosers. I can still make it work somehow. I go to the bathing room to clean up as much as I can before bed, then on my way back, the deep-toned humming begins. It makes me pause in the hallway, quietly tip toeing down the hall to peer around the walls. There they are, all gathered near the large hearth in slightly different arrangements than the movie had them placed. Thorin starts off the first lyric as expected, followed by his two most loyal companions, Balin and Dwalin. I am impressed that Dwain has a decent singing voice. Next the others slowly joins in, each adding their own higher or lower pitch into it until they all blended together in practiced harmony. I don't like the dramatic melancholy that settles over the place. I do have a large appreciation in seeing them differently than they're typically portrayed. It's an admirable scene still to me. Probably the closest I might ever get to seeing their raw emotion for a long time till I have fully gained their trust again, so I make rememberable note of it. I do notice that Gandalf isn't in the house at all. Pity, I wanted to talk to him about helping me get some sort of supplies of my own for the road. Guess I'll try again later.

After their song was over, they all quietly disperse to find places to settle down for the night. Fili and Kili find a place that has them looking like puppies in a litter. Dori fixes a place for both his brothers. He looks up in time to see me still watching around the corner, head tilted in question. I smile what I suspect is a fond smile from my face. The elder brother dips his head in acknowledgment, shoving Nori back over on his side without having to look at him. Deciding not to keep being a creeper, I head back to my room to bed down for the night too. Better enjoy real beds while I still can.

 **And there we have it! Honestly this chapter did give me a little challenge. I really wasn't sure how I wanted to go about it and who I wanted her to talk to this evening. I figured Thorin would be a default naturally. Though I still chose to go about it a little differently. I didn't have Thorin question her too much yet since most of the main questions he got answered by Dori, Balin, and Gandalf prior.**

 **This chapter also adds a beginning explanation to the 'new twist' I have been slowly adding. My generic A/B/O idea. YAAY! This is something I had created myself and would be gratuitous of your thoughts about it so far. Thanks again for hanging in there with me!**


	6. Chapter 6- Take five

**Hello! Yes I know. I took a really long time updating this. Sooooorrrry. BUT! On the bright side, I managed to get a couple of chapters done ahead of time. Thank you for reading my stories and sticking with me. and of course, thank you for your reviews. They really help me out a lot too. So, here we are, the next chapter :D**

In the early morning hours, I wake up. I am not able to fall back asleep, unable to shake this mysterious melancholy feeling. It might be the start of lethargy setting in. Forcing myself to sleep isn't working right now either, and I don't have my sleepy time martini I used to take at home either. I call it a martini for the fun of it, but really it's just a packet of Emergen-zzz and valerian root vitamins. On that note, I should ask Oin where I could get valerian and chamomile. They're both natural remedies that exist here. The sky is just starting to change in hues from the start of a sunrise. The quiet eases my weighty thoughts until something on my left catches my eye. In the sky, I gape open mouthed at this incredibly large falcon or hawk looking bird. It's body from beak to tail looks as if it could stand as tall as me! Staring in disbelief I stand up in alarm. 'Is that a baby Great eagle?' I think stupidly to myself.

The predator bird flaps as if surprised by something and takes a sharp right turn into the forest and out of my sight. Every fiber in my being wishes to be able to go after it and spy on it. Of course I don't do it. Man I wish I could have gotten a picture of it. Oh well, gone now. Lounging back down on my bedroll, I see Bombur start to rouse himself from sleep. The portly dwarf yawning and stretching before clambering to his feet to get a meal started. Idly, I watch his activity with mild interest. He's always so cool, calm and collective with movements that seems to be perfectly timed with everything else he has to work with. Kili comes walking into camp from the far off corner of the gnarled woods. The young dwarf greets Bombur with a short nod and smile, and his eyes immediately find mine as if I said his name. From his face falls any hint of mirth he might have had before. I flash a sleepy smile at him habitually. Kili just simply nods one solemn nod before finally looking away. Why he seems so serious I can't even begin to guess.

Ooookay. Let it go. Moving on with the rest. Sadly, it has only been a week and already I am wanting to go back home. I was hoping I would last a little longer than this before I started emotionally giving up. Also all this horse riding, my lack of booty is so sore and uncomfortable I am shifting my weight all the time to try to relieve it some.

Sitting under the shade of a low hanging tree, I decide to try an attempt at planning for the future. Maybe if I get my thoughts on paper, silly as they are, maybe I might weed out the best possibility of success for everyone. From my vantage, I can see everyone's activity. Gloin and Oin particularly keep stealing my attention in their verbal jibes at each other. They almost break out into another funny fist fight. I hear the threatening growls and nips from here. It is funny to me, to see them try to bite each other a few times. Shaking my head, I rip my eyes away to the others. Nori is standing on the other side with Kili, Bofur and Bombur. He raises his hands over his head in a sort of ballet style before smiling at the others. "I can't put my hands together." Which is true. His hair was so, UNIQUE, that he can't touch his hand together over his head without messing with his hair. From the shade of another tree, I see Balin and Dori sitting together. I surely would have missed hem had I not been actively searching. They sat with their heads near each other like two people chitchatting about other folks. Balin laughs at some comment Dori says. The two look like they're trading jokes until Balin throws an arm over Dori's shoulders, pulling them closer to each other. Next they put their foreheads together as typical of dwarven greetings. Watching them a little longer, they do the nuzzling that Gandalf had explained to me back at Bag End. It's kind of endearing to think of, but I start to feel intrusive and quickly looked away in my moment of awkwardness. Okay well enough being a creeper. Let me try to jot down a few things while we take our break. Jeeze I'm so used to typing my handwriting has gotten a little sloppy. As long as I can read it then who cares?

Another boisterous shout catches my attention. I looked up just in time to see Bofur tumbling from Nori's shoulders and the crowd erupting in laughs. Ugh, I'll never get my head cleared if I keep getting distracted by these loveable goofballs. Maybe, a short walk ought to help a little. I pack away my stuff and decide to take a short walk. I notice Bilbo hasn't come back yet and inquire which way he went from Fili.

"He went down the little cat trail there." The blonde replies with a jerk of his head. He follows me with his eyes and sits up straighter. "Are you going alone?"

"Just till I reunite with Bilbo." I say over my shoulder.

"But, that's still being alone. How far shall you go?" The prince questions.

I spin on my heels to regard him. "Come with me then?"

Fili casually climbs to his feet, dropping his cloak to leave it behind for now. He walks beside me as we fall into a silence and go searching the way Bilbo was last seen. I see from the corner of my eye, him intaking deep breaths, perhaps doing what Gandalf had explained to me back at Bag-End. He stops suddenly, glancing at some spot and back at me. "Are those raspberries?"

I follow his pointing hand to this largely spread out patch of thorny bushes, sure enough there are reddish looking berries on there, but they aren't raspberries. "Those are blackberries. They start red, and when they turn black that means they're ripe. See?" I squat down to pick off a few of the ripe blackberries. "Good stuff."

Fili plucks one from my hand, also smiling at the fruit. "Hmm, so these are blackberries."

My own brows raise at his musings. "You never had blackberries before?"

Fili shakes his head, making me blink in surprise. "Such things do not grow near Ered Luin very often. One year Uncle brought us back a raspberry custard as a treat for our good doings while he was away when we were dwarflings."

I turn back to the bushes, trying to hide my shock. They've only had a custard once or twice in their lives thus far? While my fat sweet tooth has something sweet almost every day?! I don't know how I should feel about that. I don't want to sympathize since that really doesn't do a lot of good. Just move on…

"Where's Bilbo?" I breathe out. Continuing our walk, sounds of crunched leaves keep catching my attention. They sound so fleeting like from a rabbit hoping by, but much heavier like a human's weight.

Next something in between the sticks of some fallen branches makes me pause in my steps and approach it slowly. Like some odd type of red wood. I can't identify exactly what it is, some odd type of wood but as I get closer it looks like it's moving ever so slightly, or at least something near it keeps making that cracking, chirpy sound that I want to find. I get close enough and see that the wood is reddish in color and is covered in fur. Suddenly a long bushy tail flips out from one end. It twitches and dances about as I stare stupidly at it until the rest of the form raises up. Now I am face to face with a reddish colored oversized beast. It squeals at me, making me flinch away violently from the sudden startling. The rodent jerked back too at first. It saw me nearly trip over my own two feet trying to get away and moves forward as if to get a better look at me… or attack me. With it now in clear view. I can see that this is a giant red furred squirrel. A giant squirrel in my face!

"Gah!" I gasp aloud as I clumsily yank out my hunting knife. It sees the flash of black metal and screeches as if in some horror flick. "Ssssshut up!"

The squirrel reals back as my blade is finally loose, then turns tail and zips away almost instantly. Only, it doesn't get very far as it runs straight into a high rock wall, or ruins of some old buildings rather.

"Miss Alicia? What's happened?!" Fili is at my side in two steps. I point at the giant squirrel as I trounce a little closer. "Did you see that thing?! Look! There it is!"

"Miss Alicia you must wait." Fili calls behind me till he catches up easily. Instead of stopping at my side as I expect, he gasps at the squirrel and steps nearly in front of me. How chivalrous. "Look at the size of him! He could make bacon for days!" He smiles jokingly. The rodent squeaks back indignantly, ears twitching as if it is trying to speak back at us. Fili stands idly still snickering at it until the large creature charges for us.

Gasping, I make some silly attempt at turning my hunting knife into a throwing knife. I hit nowhere near the rodent and it scurries off after feigning a take down on Fili and bolting again. Fili scrambles back to his feet at the same time I go to retrieve my knife.

"Your aim is terribly off." He says near me.

"At least I am not the only one looking silly by a squirrel. You fell backwards thinking it was coming for you." I grumble a little in my embarrassment.

Fili still smiles it off, radiating his swagger like some lighthouse. He sees me looking after the squirrel as if it's just going to pop right back in our sights. "May as well leave it be. We're never going to catch it anyhow."

I follow him back the way we had come, pausing at the blackberry bushes we saw earlier. "I'd like to harvest as much as we can of these. It'll be a nice little treat for everyone."

Fili shrugs and kneels down at another spot to help. At the end, we are able to bring back enough for everyone to have a handful of the sweet treat.

Kili snickers at his brother when Fili comes to sit by him. " You went berry picking? That's what took you so long?"

"Aye you out to try it, seems like something you can do without messing up." Fili teased back.

I smiles a small smile at their joking and look to find Thorin. Said leader is standing a short ways off, hands behind his back as he surveys the land around doesn't even look at me when I come walking up to his side. "Blackberries." I say first.

Thorin looks away from his scenic view to my outstretched hand. "Berry picking. That's where you went off to."

"Yes. Blackberries are rich in vitamin A and C and offer the highest in antioxidants for us." I educate, popping one in my mouth. But his face reminds that people here don't know what any of those good-for-yous are. "Umm…It's very good for your skin and hair and helps your body with sickness and injury healing." (I was not kidding when I mentioned I'm kind of a health freak.) "Fili and I gathered enough to share a snack with everyone." I say kindly.

I watch him look behind him where Fili was sharing some with Gloin and his brother, unsure of what he is really thinking. I gesture, in a rather kiddish way, to give me his hand. When he finally does, I dump a share for him with a small smile.

"You have knowledge in foraging in the wilds?" Thorin asks me.

"Only in the common things at the moment, but, I do have an interest in it." I admit. "You?"

"Aye. All those who have spent much of their lives in the wilds must learn these things." The leader replies.

That statement ends up coming across quite dreary to me, reminding me of his hard life. Honestly. I know of his tough life since the fall was worse than I can imagine, but I doubt his reign as proper king of Erebor is going to be any easier. Can't he take one little moment like to relax a little?! Or maybe that's just my own inner frustrations talking. When he looks back at me, I make a small smile in agreement to his words instead. "Gonna share with the rest." I excuse myself.

Bifur is the next closest one. He looks to be deeply focused on some wood craft he is making. I am not sure if he even notices me sit down next to him. He turns the figure over to the bottom half that is a flatter surface. For fun's sake I quickly place a blackberry on it. The quiet dwarf stares at it for a second before he dumps it in his mouth. I snicker quietly at it. Bifur's kind of cute in his own way to me. "Have some more." I say as I share some more with him. Bifur thanks me with a smile before I move to share with the others.

When I get to Dwalin and Balin, I accidentally snicker out loud. Balin raises a brow at me quizzically. "Sorry, I just imagined someone accidentally spilling blackberry juice in your hair and turning it magenta."

Dwalin paused in his examination of some equipment and turns to look at me like I just showed up in a chicken suit.

"And why would you do that?" Balin asks slowly.

"I wouldn't do it." I quickly spit out. "It was just a funny thought."

"Mm-hm." Balin says flatly. Though, he breaks out a dry smile just to humor my stupid joke.

So I quickly make myself scarce from that awkward situation I just created before it's time to head out again. Bilbo accepts his share of blackberries with an odd sheepish smile, as if he is waiting for me to abash him about something. Oh well, I have a little fun joking with him about odd colored hair without the awkwardness.

Our next camp site I immediately recognize as the hillside in the movie, where the orcs saw their camp light. That makes me worry. A lot. That whole scene in the movie replays in my head until another pony pulls up next to me bearing Bofur.

"Hullo Miss Seer lass?"

I blink out of my stare to look at him.

"Are ya alright?" He tilts his head a little. "Ya seem a wee distracted too."

"Um…" I try to gather my next words. "Are we going to camp here?"

Bofur shrugs one shoulder. "Aye. Looks tha' way. Somewhere's around the boulders up there I'd wager. Why?"

"I don't feel so good about this place." I say, changing my face to a brow furrowed look of concern.

"Really? What kind of feeling are you having?" He sniffs once. "Worry?"

'How did he know I was worried? Wasn't he right behind me?' I think to myself as I affirm his suspicions with a nod. "It doesn't feel safe. Like, we're putting targets on our heads."

"Did ya have a vision?" Bofur asks, clearly confused by my own vague description. That's also when I notice he wasn't the only one paying attention to me. Gloin had shifted in his saddle a little too look at me. So is Dori And Balin and Thorin. But I can't B.S. too much.

"Not a vision but just this growing bad feeling I can't shake. Like if we're being watched, especially if we stay here. Do we have to camp here?" I ask splaying on a very solicitous demeanor as I look at Thorin.

The leader continues to watch me with that unimpressed gaze he once gave Bilbo. "Watched by whom?"

"Things we don't want seeing us." I can't help but reply. "Could be any dangerous thing out here in the wilds. If we camp up there, sure we'll get a good vantage point if we're attacked but our fire will make us easy targets for miles."

Thorin's face hardens again, irritating me. "You want us to keep moving because of an ill feeling?" At this point the whole party is stopped, intrigued by the sudden tension.

"Hmm, I see no harm in moving forth a little longer." Gandalf adds his two cents.

Balin leans forth an inch, speaking to Thorin in low tones. So does Dwalin. While a muttering argument between everyone on why we should stay or go springs up, I do my best to keep looking and acting as if I am going to jump out of my skin any second now.

Thorin exhales a long exasperated sigh. "We will continue forth. Alicia. You will help set camp this night."

"Alright." I say quickly, quite happy to be going. Though I keep my demeanor and face schooled as to not show any relief until we 'cut'. In this case, 'cut' will be finding that new camp.

As we rode forth, we all hear a shrill call that supports my claim. The shrieking calls of orcs in the far distance echoes to our ears. I can't tell whether it was the one that died or if they're all upset that we're not where they'd hoped we were. It does have the effect on everyone. All of our ears pricked and the hairs on our necks standing up.

"What was that?" Bilbo asks, spurring his pony a little faster.

"Orcs." Kili says ominously.

"They'll be dozens of them out there." Fili adds in his own spooky voice.

'Oh no they are NOT doing this right now!'

"Throat cutters, they'll come in the wee hours of the night."

"So swift, you'll never hear them coming until it's too late."

Bilbo's face starts to twitch and look a little pale.

I turn about to watch Fili and Kili while they smirk at each other. "'Lotta good people would still be around if those throat-cutters you're joking about weren't." Their eyes simultaneously meet my own. I try to offer a small smile trying to be more encouraging. "Pick something else to joke about hm?"

"If they think a night raid by orcs is a joke they should say no more." Thorin growls out just a head of us. Over his shoulder he shoots a look that would have frozen sunlight at his nephews.

"We didn't mean anything by it." Kili replies sheepishly.

"Of course, you didn't. You know nothing of the world." Thorin says scathingly as he turns back around. I almost want to role my eyes at his drama, but I don't as I remind myself of his hundred plus years of bearing everyone else's weight. Poor Fili and Kili both look equally abashed. "Don't mind him. Thorin has more cause than most to hate orcs." The old advisor's face crinkles with kindness as he catches up to us from riding alongside Dori. "After the dragon took our mountain, King Thror tried to reclaim the ancient dwarf kingdom, Moria."

'Oh shoot Moria! That's where he, Ori and Oin are supposed to die.' Chancing a glance at Balin, it is very hard to read his face right now, but I wonder if he dreams of reclaiming that place even now. An unwanted chill goes up my spine, but not the kind that one gets when they hear something creepy, but this one that makes me want to jump off this horse and run. I reeeaaaally don't want to hear this story, excellent as Balin is at telling them. Kili looks grim faced when Balin introduces Azog. They must have been told stories of him before. Balin's eyes take on this far away look as he recalls the story. Bilbo is transfixed in it, which is good as it gives him some distraction from the scouts that are looking for us presently.

"…And that's when I saw him." Balin wraps up in his theatrical dramatic monologue. "There is one I could follow. There is one, I can call king." The old dwarf's eyes take on this glassy look of pure pride on his whole face. Not that anyone's loyalties here were questionable, but they are certainly re-doubled now. All pairs of eyes looking at Thorin in different intervals as the weight of Balin's tale falls over the whole group.

I try hard not to make the 'vomit' sound. Sticking to just doing it mentally. I CANNOT be the 'moment killer' right now. Images of what it would be like to have that kind of admiration from Balin, or well anyone. Just to have someone talk that epically about me, or someone's undying loyalties as such much feel amazing. Suddenly I shake my head like a bug was flying in my face, but it's really because I am trying to shake my thoughts. I may be a paid actor, but I am no Johnny Depp, Angelina Jolie or anyone that popular. And nothing in my life has ever been epic enough to earn anything Thorin has. He's the one that's deserving of this and this story is about him and Bilbo after all. But it does make me wonder why _exactly_ am I here? I've been improving my way this whole time, thinking that I'm doing right when in fact I could be veering off the track I need to be on. What other track am I supposed to be on though if not here? Maybe if I keep riding this wave it will be more clear…

After a little while longer of riding in silence, Thorin and Gandalf halt up front. They must have found a new place to camp. Thorin turns his pony half way and his eyes find mine immediately. "Is this suitable enough for you seer?" His hard tone is difficult for me to tell if he speaks out of annoyance or mocking. Instead of saying anything, I simply nod my approval as if he is actually asking for it. Thorin swings off his pony, the others following suit quickly. They must have been wanting to get off for a long while now and kept their own complaints to themselves. Bombur and Bofur wordlessly get a dinner started. They, along with Gloin, dig up a small cook-hole and start getting the meal cooking. Dori, Fili and Oin round up the ponies. I try to help but I really don't know what else to do other than lead the pony next to the other and group them together. I go to unload my sleeping bag to a spot of my own to settle down at last.

 **This chapter is a little shorter, but that's because I couldn't find a good stopping point except this one here. Once again, I skipped over most of the story telling because we all know it by now. Hope you didn't mind. More to come soon!**


	7. Chapter 7- Day Player

**Hello again! I got another chappie for you. XD So, you may have noticed the titles to my chapters are Acting Terms. (^_^) like that little touch? Heh heh..**

NEXT CHAPTER7- Day player

Bree comes up in our view almost unnoticeably till we are much closer. It kind of has that wild western demeanor to it in my opinion, where the towns often blended right into the environment until one was close enough. Bree was never portrayed as a very openly friendly place. Some look at us with a bored or half interested gaze before returning back to their own business. Others are less friendly.

The fact that people look at us with leery gazes makes me roll my own eyes. I'm not surprised by this at all. Bree has always been portrayed as a cut-throat town. Sounds like the city my grandmother lives in. The Company too, all save for Bilbo, seem also not surprised by this. They must have gotten quite used to it. I do hope not all humans live and act like this. Perhaps Gondor and Rohan are a little different?

We check into the Inn, The famous Prancing Pony. Flashbacks of Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit flip through my mind as I wait on with the others this time while Dwalin and Gloin go in to get rooms. The rest of us lead the horses into the very large barn. It's like a parking garage for animals in here.

"How fortunate for us to make it here before the crowd came in." Gandalf says as he hobbles next to me. "I assume you'll need some coin for your own supplies." I duck my head a little in response to that. Had we hit the trolls first, I certainly wouldn't have! "Here. You may use mine." The wizard produces an old pouch that dangles in my hand of coins.

"Th-thank you." I mutter, hoping my embarrassment didn't show on my face.

"Think nothing of it. Would that I would go with you myself but I have my own matters to attend to while we are here." Gandalf looks behind him to the gaggle of dwarves. "Would someone be so kind as to take Miss Alicia along with them?"

That just makes me more embarrassed now. Mortified even. I am the little toddler that needs to be looked after and baby-sat.

Kili and Fili come to my rescue, being the first to volunteer with their happy smiles.

"No. Kili you shall stay with me. Fili can escort her." Thorin shuts down that opportunity immediately. Although I do like the idea of the two separating just for a little bit.

Fili saunters up to me next. "Alright Milady. What shall we get first?"

"Umm.." I think aloud as we leave the barn. "Travel necessities in Arda include travel clothes, hygiene tools, medical supplies, food and water supplies, a spare map and compass-"

Fili's merry chuckle stops me from prattling on.

"You sound like Amad or Gloin. Always wanting to pack more than they can carry."

"Well, it's all important." I smile back.

"Aye, but half of those things are taken care of by the rest of us."

"It never hurts to have a back up supplies my friend." I say proudly as we make our way to what looks like a clothing store. Inside we here a 'just a moment' call behind some curtain before we are greeted by an older lady and a middle-aged lady.

"Hello there. Looking for a new dress, are we?" The middle-aged lady says first.

"Travel clothes if you please. I am in need of….women's necessities." I answer first as Fili hangs back. The dwarf admires some nice water proof cloaks at the side, affording us a little more privacy even though I know he is still listening in. Kind of him.

The younger lady nodded knowingly, inviting me to a back room where she takes a few measurements and asks preference questions. All my offered choices are dresses and skirts, to my secret distaste. Still, I pick out two skirts to fit in the middle earth culture better. I do still ask for pants and she gave me an odd look at first till I explained that I will be traveling a long way. She tilts he head in understanding better and even fetched some lady products for monthly visits as well. As it turns out, they didn't quite have ladies' breeches long enough for my ostrich legs, so she would modify a couple of men's breeches to look more feminine for me.

"You'll make sure she don't get into any trouble on her own? Oh, how nice of you young men to come an escort the misses around like that." The old lady's jovial tone makes us peek our heads out to see a slightly pink cheeked Fili unable to get out of some awkward attention. The old lady complimenting him on his chivalrous deeds, not knowing how she was really making Fili feel.

I duck my head back to hide my quiet giggles at poor Fili. Once the other lady is finished with me, I walk out to see the old lady still chatting with the dwarf. Fili is too polite it seems, as he just stands there silently. When his eyes flick to me though I know exactly what he is trying to say. 'hurry up'.

I try not to be a butt and laugh at Fili's patronizing while I finish up with clothes shopping here. For everything the total is three silver. Three little coins…what is that seventy-five cents in my world?... Wow.

Fili exhaled a loud sigh of relief when we exit the building. I half smile at him "I don't think she meant to make you uncomfortable."

"I do not know anymore." Fili breathes out. "Elders do it so frequently I've half a mind to believe it amuses them." It makes me chuckle a little as I agree with that wholeheartedly. I wonder how Fili would take to meeting someone like Madea though.

Fili taps me on the arm once and points to another stand, one that is selling bathing merchandise. Ooooh yesss. The two of us make our way there where we indulge our sense in all the aromatic fragrances of soaps. Next to that stand was some leather works that catches my eyes. I examine some of the goods while passing a coin to Fili, "Get me a lavender one if you please."

I admire a pair of gloves and some belt pouches like I'm at the ren fest.

"Oi there. Beggin yer pardon miss." A voice catches my attention on the left. A portly looking man comes walking around the bar setting down a few pairs of shoes by the window when he sees me. "I thought I seen ya walking in town with a band of dwarves. Are ya alright?"

I pause for a couple of beats, unsure how to really respond to that random question. "Uh…I'm fine thank you. Why do you ask?"

The man clears his throat. "Just ain't never a good thing, seeing one lone human woman surrounded by dwarves. Means they got themselves a new pet they did."

"No. no pets around here." I say as I start to leave.

"No pets my foot!" Another man looking like the stereo typical crazy man that hasn't gotten much gray hair yet. "They lyin' to ya now girl? Don't ye ever believe the longbeards' kindness is free. They want something from you an' it's probably keeping to their female rituals."

"Okay that's weird. Goodbye." I say as I quickly skim past them.

"Yer one of 'em aren't ye." The paranoid grump says at my back like I'm some kind of alien. I don't bother answering but it doesn't matter as I get stopped by two other lumberjacks sized men. These two guys could almost be on par with Arnold in his body builder days!

I glare at them while I try to get away. "Back off."

"We can't letcha go back to them. Lettin' them paw at you and mark you as theirs." One of them said.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I don't care either. Don't touch me!" I smack aggressively at the hand that was just reaching out to me.

Fili is at my side in the blink of an eye then, also glaring at the men while he pulls me behind him.

"Lookit there. One of 'ems already lurking around you." One of the men sneer.

Fili Keeps herding me away. "We're leaving now." He says in a tone that leaves no room for argument.

"Where're you going with her?" The portly man cuts us off.

And now I am also starting to get riled up. At this point it's four against two. In a hit and run tactic the odds aren't too against us, but neither is it favorable. Fili makes a low threatening growling sound from deep in his throat. His hands already on the hilts of his main swords. I don't know who made the first move, but quickly hands are flying everywhere to grapple or to hit. I have two opponents and so does Fili. Or that's how it started anyway. The two lumberjacks not only look the part, but they know a little about how to act the part. They are giving Fili a hard time. I am shocked by this because dwarves are supposed to be the most physically strongest and yet these two Spartans seem to be overpowering him in some team effort. The one-second distraction is enough for the men to roughly yank me behind them to the portly man's meaty grasp.

"Come on Missy. We'll get ya from the animal." He said behind me as I am man-handled into his store. Other than the fact that I am being held against my will, he does sound almost apologetic. It affords him some grace from me, but not enough to quell my frustrations.

"Are you kidding me right now?! Get off! He's my friend and we were just FINE before you all messed with us!" I vent my anger as I keep fighting to get out of his grip. I hear harsh grunts outside, but from only one voice. They must have hit Fili! The adrenaline is pumping now as I redouble my efforts to get away from him, losing my patience enough to hurt him. He finally lets go but I am stopped when the paranoid man blocks me.

"Yer a strange kind of woman ta be in a town like this." He says.  
Now that sets off alarms in my mind, is this more than just the 'righteous fool' haggle? But judging by his still pulled frown I can't really tell. One things for sure is I am so done with this. I come at him like every bit the untrained wrestler that I am. It takes him by surprise enough to knock him against the wall. I try to push him out of the way to get at the door, and I almost make it if the fat guy didn't aid his comrade. With little force from his part I am subdued and blocked from the door once again. In my fit, I knock things down, throw things at them. In the midst my wrestling with the men, the door is kicked open making all of us flinch from the sudden shock.

"Release her at once!" A loud voice booms from behind the men, so surprising it makes me jump like a sudden dog's bark. The four of us look over to see an angry looking Thorin and behind him an eerily serious looking Balin.

"Tsh. Didn't I tell ya? This girl is the dwarves' little pet. They come 'ere may haps looking fer more women to keep them sated."

My confusion sky rockets at the weird words this guy is using.

Thorin sneers at them. "I will not ask again. Leave her be."

"Or ye'll what? Turn into a beast an eat me?" The first man mocks. "You dwarves need ta learn how to keep yer own women 'appy. Yeh fooled this one into callin' yeh friends!" The other jabs his crooked walking stick in Thorin's way.

The other three grumble in agreement at the accusation that just throws me for yet another loop. At this point I'm too confused and angry to even be remotely scared anymore.

"You lads know nothing of which you speak." Balin shakes his head once. "You best just release her and let us be on our way.

"You best leave right now then an' quit yer lyin' to our women folk!" The third one says. "Quite tryin ta claim ours. You can't have her or anyone anymore! No one in their right mind would willingly choose you!"

Balin's eyes flash dangerously so, with a glint I have never suspected him to ever have, even in his younger warrior days he did strike me as the brutish berserker, but more of a calm calculative type. But I have run out of patience myself and lash out at one of the men holding me against the wall. I start by kicking out at him since my right hand is being held hostage. He grunts and doubles over, giving me a clear shot to his head and yes…

"Boom." I say when I hit it. "headshot."

One of the men clocks me at the side of my head with a hard backhand, also known as a bitch slap. My whole body is flung by it to the right. He clearly outdid my headshot…

I hear rough skids of boots as Thorin rushes forth with Balin at his side. I feel another pair of strong hands pull me away from the fray. Automatically I try to fight free from the grasp.

"Easy lass. We're getting' ya outta here." Nori says above me. He holds me steady till my mind catches up to what's happening now. Once done he jumps in to have Fili's back when the blonde rushes by us to the aid of his uncle and mentor. Everything starts clicking together. Thorin and Balin distracted most of the men, so that Nori could go rescue Fili, and now they're all rescuing me.

Blows are traded until the dwarves either knock them unconscious or render them temporarily immobile.

"Is everyone alright?" Thorin asks. He pretends to not see Nori who is already crouched down and searching pockets. I feel like any money he finds I deserve a cut, but I don't voice it. I nod my affirmation with the others, my eyes glancing at Fili in my concern for him. "Care to explain how this came about?" Thorin looks directly at me first. Of course it's my fault first.

"We were just on our way back to the inn and these guys started talking to us first." I explain. "We tried getting away but then they got aggressive and we were forced to defend ourselves."

Once again the lead dwarf does not look convinced of my story. "First the river and now this. Trouble likes to follow you it seems. Or perhaps you enjoy throwing yourself recklessly into it…"

"Neither. This isn't our fault." I retort. "WE were minding our own."

Thorin heaves a heavy sigh as if he is trying to hold back his own temper.

"She's right Thorin. Bree is known for shady business such as this." Balin intervenes. "Let's go back to the inn and put this behind us."

Wise as that plan might be, I am not quite ready to drop it. Questions of my own springing up in my head. "What _were_ they trying to talk about? Pets…sated…animals?"

The whole room ceases in any moving for a beat before they resume, like I struck a chord somewhere. Balin looks at Thorin, who gives a subtle nod.

My brows knit together as I look at Balin, then at Nori. The latter having this inscrutable look on his face. "Balin? Was what he said true? Do you all change into beasts?"

The white-haired dwarf looks up to meet my eyes, a small smile playing on his lips. "Yes. We very much can."

 **WHAAAT?! XD Yes this chapter is a little shorter, sorry.**  
 **I had Fili and Kili separate for a little bit because even though they're close brothers and all, they don't have to be together ALL THE TIME. Also Fili being the more mature one because he is the heir, would naturally be the one more responsible. Fili is a popular choice for an escort/protector for OCs and I kind like the idea for now too. Don't worry Kili will have some spotlight time too.**


	8. Chapter 8- Cross

**I finally fixed it! That was a lot of confusion...I was going to post this chapter days ago but then I messed up on a few things and needed to go back to fix them. Aaaaand I posted this chapter on the wrong story, had to go back and fix that too...rookie mistake. But here it is! Thank you all for reading and most importantly, your reviews!**

Chapter 8- Cross

DORI

"Seems to be a nice enough lass, but she is far too optimistic for my liking."

"Well she's a seer. She knows things that might make her happy already."

"A NOVICE seer. She came to Gandalf for guidance after all. I do not think the danger of this situation has fully sank in her head yet."

"That or perhaps she does know something she's not letting on, an' it could spell trouble for us."

"We must figure out exactly who she is. I can't even begin to guess where she might be from."

Nursing this nice blend of tea I find quite favorable, I endure the bantering of my kin. Normally I disapprove of such talk when the person isn't around to hear it, however a part of me does wish to also know more of our most unexpected addition. To anyone it may seem a predestined fate, but no amount of portent reading shall ever convince me that every detail of our fate is entirely out of our hands. I'd be unhappily married since I was Fili's age if that were the case! While I have had my fair share of both lovely lasses and a few horrendous ones, I've never gone beyond courting. My duty is to my own family however. I've a handful of good friends whom I still associate with and of course, my alpha.

"Would ya all come off it already? She'll hurt her little wrist an' give up on her own." Gloin rumbles, almost disinterested in the subject. Oh but I know him well enough to tell when he's putting on a farce, again.

Balin who is sitting beside me, casually excuses himself from the bickering towards me. "It is bewildering to have heard you warrant her claim whilst we first spoke in Bag End. Know you something we do not?"

"A great many things. Where shall I start?" I reply in a dry tone I use for sarcasm. Naturally my eyes flicker to Bofur first.

Balin, polite as he always is, merely chortles mutely enough to see his shoulders bounce once as he waits for me to continue. "Truthfully, I know little more than you." I resume. " I simply felt the need to share a vision that concerns us all. She does not appear to understand what her visions imply, that much I believe. It is just too soon to tell." I glimpse at his sagacious eyes, I ask him too. "What are your thoughts?" I ask with a pointed look. My old friend merely smiles his ever-gladsome smile. He knocks back the rest of his tea. "Thorin and I have a few things to get now that our bellies aren't as empty. Need you anything?"

"Hmm. Any extra silk if they have?" I ask innocently enough. I've bought a healthy Stache of lupin seeds and dill already." Finding silk in this town has recently become much easier since Bree is such a bustling trade town with the hobbits and it's neighbor Archet.

Balin nods cordially to me, patting my shoulder. "I'll see what I can do you necessitous beta."

"And, if you see Nori slap him on the head for me?" I know he didn't just go 'shopping early.'

As Balin leaves with Thorin, I enjoy a full meal with the others.

 **Present.**

I'm not sure what it feels like to have one of those "Time freezes in your mind in your mind and you don't know what to feel anymore because everything is a lie now" moments….but I'm pretty sure this is as close as I can get without the use of illegal influences.

I just stare stupidly at poor Balin, expecting him to say more. He doesn't though, shifting a little uncomfortably at my unblinking stare. When I realize I am doing it, I do finally tear my gaze away. One of my first thoughts is that Balin is just messing with me, trying to spook me for fun's sake, but then logic dismissed that. Were it Nori or Fili saying it then it can be easily tacked as jokes.

"Why do you look so surprised seer? Did you not know of this already?" Thorin questions.

"No. Because a seer is not all-knowing." I reiterate again. Nori snorts once behind me.

Balin sighs and dusts his hands habitually. "Come my dear. We'll have this all straightened out once we've returned to the safety of the inn."

"You're going to tell her everything now?" Thorin growls out beside Balin.

"We cannot keep it hidden from her forever. At least let us separate truth from lie." Balin said over his shoulder to Thorin.

On our walk back I note that the part about how protective they are of women is still true though. I'm surrounded by all corners. We do not stop till we are at one of the rooms they had rented. Thanks to my training as an actor I am able to school my face to a mellow visage in the public. Inside however I am so confused. As I probably should have seen coming, there is a keg at the side with Gloin filling up his mug by it.

Balin spots the couch on the opposite wall and goes to sit on one side. He pats the other side for me to come sit down. How many people could resist an invite to sit by Balin? Not this girl. Though, I am torn between running away or Staring doe-eyed at the potential of a new story.

Balin smiles his kind smile as he takes an eloquent pull of a glass of wine he snatched up. "Should you choose to leave us still, we will not fault you for it." He says flatly. This catches the attention of everyone in the room to my discomfort. I would have preferred a one-on-one, but beggars can't be choosers.

"What?! Leave?! Why?!" Kili blurts out suddenly.

"Where are you off to now?"

"I thought the Seer was going to stay and help us."

"There's been some trouble," Thorin clarifies to them. "Involving some men spouting off rumors and kidnapping her and Fili."

The dwarves have mixed expressions of concern and scowling along with a few audible dog like growls. I look around at them all, the sound still odd to me when it comes from a person.

The elder beside me takes a deep breath through his nose. "There is something in this culture we share with the hobbits called 'Being Sated.' There are times during our lives when, well, when our instincts for companionship suddenly get stronger than normal. We become more affectionate and seek out a companion with which to give and receive that love."

"A spouse?"

"Not necessarily a romantic interest, no." Balin patiently teaches. "It is intimacy activity without, crossing the line to carnal activity. In fact, there's three levels to it. First is what you call 'puppy love' or bonding, the most general level accepted by nearly anyone. The second is 'being sated'. This is normally only done with friends whom you trust. The final is what is strictly reserved for the married wishing to have children of their own." He pauses to see if I am still with him, which I am. "Claiming is a common term used when someone claims you as theirs. Not theirs as in you are property; but theirs to be cherished like family."

"None of this really sounds that bad." I ponder aloud. "Why then would anyone ever suspect it is?"

"The foolish make up their own ideas without listening to reason." Thorin answers first.

"There is a dark reputation the sinister have earned us in the past." Balin explains sadly. "Some would let their animal run rampant, and they would use the Bite Mark to bond in a more permanent way to unwilling victims. They use this culture for violent means of gaining power."

"Those scum ought to be smashed back into the earth." Dwalin rumbles from his chair. Many grunts of agreements supports Dwalin's opinion.

I spare a glance over to Bilbo who had been unusually quiet this whole time. He sits at the table, sipping at some tea with that awkward cuteness of his. He looks very calm though. I suspect he had foreseen this talk happening sooner or later. Gandalf isn't back yet too I notice. No surprise there.

"That being said Miss Alicia, you should be aware of the dangerous side to this." Balin takes back my attention. "We have, nor ever shall, have any intention of ill will towards you, however, in our animal forms, the animal's nature is stronger. In a Rage, we are most dangerous, every bit a wild animal. The unpredictability there can be dangerous to even our friends. We understand that not all are comfortable with bonding either. If you wish it, then we may part ways on good terms once we've found a safe place to leave you." Ever the considerate supporter, Balin reminds me of my rights.

Perhaps, I should be worried. I just learned a very significant parts of them, that I had no idea even existed because it wasn't in the book. Neither was I, or them making any stops to Bree at all. Yet I'm not. Intimidating as this all is, I don't feel so unnerved by it. "I don't want to leave." I answer and a small smile on the corners of my own lips appear. "Thank you for clarifying that though."

"My pleasure." The old dwarf's face brightens up again with another smile. "Hungry?" He gestures to the platters the others snack on.

"Yes please." I reply elatedly as I get up to put together a plate of my own. Kili sits across from me, which is probably poor choosing on my part since he has terrible table manners and all.

Oh but the insistent smacking and mouth noises makes me leave the table with my plate finally though.

The dinner is simple but even these everyday meats like ham and beef, and the few vegetables that are here like potatoes, carrots and tomatoes, and even the fruits and breads had a different taste. Everything here is organic after all. Once all full, I go off to bed.

I look around for a bed that has not been claimed, but there are two rooms so I may have to go across the hall for one. I bid goodnight to them before going bed hunting. At the far wall there is one bed left that I assume is mine, and if not, I'll find out later. Spreading my cloak over it I try not to compare it to the more sanitary motel rooms that I have slept in. the place doesn't seem that bad, but I don't know what they do for bed bugs here and it makes me inwardly hesitant to use the bed. Laying on my side, the day catches up to me, especially with what just happened. Here I am claiming to be a seer, yet I have no idea what this Alpha, beta, omega concept is. What. The. Heck. I start to stare as a daunting feeling washes over me. This was not in the books or the movies. How could I have missed something so important? Everything did make sense now though. The smelling the air all the time, what Gandalf also explain a little, and the way Bofur could tell I was uneasy without having to look at my face. What am I going to do about this? It feels like things just got even more serious. I have no idea how to approach or behave to this new culture. They had patience with me because I didn't know and they didn't seem to eager to tell me until they had to. This has really become a whole new ball game and now I begin to question myself if I am truly up for this. Or maybe it would not be so different that I couldn't still be helpful in the end. I take a deep breath as I try to calm my overworking mind. Doubts and fears start to override my positive attitude. What is my main goals here? I don't really know! I have just made an assumption and started making and faking it as I go! Surely one of my main objectives is to make sure the line of Durin's main members stay alive; Thorin Fili and Kili. What if it means replacing them with others? Ugh, to me it would be equally devastating if Gloin, or Bofur or Nori would die. Though maybe not to them. I shake my head violently to get rid of some of these circling thoughts. Worrying is like praying for bad things to happen after all. I take a deep breath again. I need to get my priorities straightened out. If I remember correctly, trolls are supposed to be coming up next. But Bilbo needed to prove his quick-thinking skills. Maybe I could pull him aside and plan with him a way to keep him in the spotlight. I don't know how much time passes while I am lost in my thoughts, but he door opens and like a little kid trying not to get caught I close my eyes habitually. Soft footsteps resound around the wooden room. The others are turning in now too it seems. I smile at the half that comes to get their beauty sleep for the night. Kicking off their boots, taking only one or two layers off and the chorus of relieved sighs that echoes around the rooms makes me smile a little. Let me just try to leave these accumulating thoughts for tomorrow and try to get some rest now.

I don't like this waking up at the butt-crack of dawn just to head on the road, but in many many cases I know why it's necessary. Coming from a world that works around the clock, to world that works around the sun, is one of the many hard adjustments for me. I'm not sure which I like more; Working around the clock and still having half my day to myself, or working around the sun and getting small breaks through out the day. The lovely smell of breakfast though, is always a great motivator. Up I get slowly, stretching and finger-combing my hair. My mind is usually alert and already dreaming about what will happen today, or fantasies about something else, though this morning, it's completely blank…

Well, what was there to fantasize about when one was already thrown in a fantasy world? How to get back home? I'm one of the first to wake up, which means I get first pickings! I do not hold back, all diets be thrown out the window while I'm here in middle earth. I'm sure I'll burn through the calories in one day anyhow.

Once breakfast is eaten, everyone's pace picks up promptly, and within the same hour we are saddling up and heading out again. I won't be missing this town. Seemed like even the ground was more comfortable than whatever those things they're calling beds are. I think I'd rather have slept in the barn on soft hay, ugh.

My poor legs are still sore from the saddle riding, and so are NOT happy about getting back on one. I wonder if riding side saddle might help for a while. AlthoughI am happy to be leaving this place, the lethargic feeling comes creeping in again when I remember that we will be on horses instead of cars again.

Not much conversation happens other then Gandalf up there with Balin, Dwalin and Thorin muttering about which road to take from here.

Staying on the Eats-West road for now, I try to remember and pinpoint where exactly we are. Off to my right, as we get closer I can see what looks like a body of water. It keeps my attention for a long time till the image clears up to many bodies of water and tall grass.

"Hmph. Midgewater marches." Gloin grumbles, his nose wrinkling from a look of disgust.

Many of the older dwarves turns a fouler mood at the sight of them. Thorin even agrees that we take a wider birth around them. Which is fine by me as I am well aware of the bugs a place like that tends to house, not to mention the smell is probably not pleasant. Watching the dwarves without trying to stare, I wonder what has them frowning so much.

"Why does everyone seem so grim suddenly?" I try to ask Kili in a low voice. The youth is unaffected by the same demeanor as the older of course. He takes a moment to look around himself.

"Why is everyone so down?" He blurts out suddenly.

Well, I guess that is one way to get answers.

"This place is hardly pleasant." Dori grumps. "Not now, nor ever was before."

"How many times have you been here?" I ask him, twisting in my seat.

"Once thankfully. Few of my business routes required me to go beyond this point." The eldest Ri grumbles.

Now it hits me though. It was a very small shot in the movies, but one in which caravans of dwarves weaved around giant puddles of water after leaving Erebor to find Ered Luin. While I sympathize for their suffering, it isn't the marsh's fault. Now though, I am aware of just how emotionally taxing this quest can be as well as physically taxing. I haven't accounted for that yet. I must have let myself get blinded by the thrill of adventure. It still got me even when I tried to be level headed about this.

I think about our next hurdle, the trolls. Should anything about that be changed? For warned? Perhaps I should only tell Bilbo to give him a better heads up, or let him face his fears? Man, being a seer is not as easy as just talking about the future. Bilbo, I notice is once again either kept to himself or interviewed by Fili and Kili. Occasionally Bofur would chime in with his two cents. Also me, because I'm nosy.

"Hobbits have holidays similar to Men?" I ask.

"Why yes. Twas probably by Men that we even knew what a holiday was. And thus we adopted our own." The hobbit teaches.

"What holidays do Hobbits and dwarves have?" I ask as I steer my horse a little closer to them.

"Well, hobbits have Budding Day, which is what you would call birthdays, First Harvest Day, Apple's Eye day, Fall Harvest, Lithe, and Winter Yule day."

"What's Apple's Eye Day?" Bofur beats me to the question.

"It is usually celebrated between February and March." The hobbit explains.

"Ah so it's like our Flame day." Fili answers. "It's spoken in our language, but Flame day is its best translation.

"And what Holidays do Dwarves have?" I ask.

"Oh, we got our own spring Fest." Bofur answers me with his grin growing bigger as he jerks his forehead to the riders ahead of us. "One of Dwalin's favorite holidays since he loves pony racing. Just five years past he won the Broken Bone Race for the season. We got Forge Day Fest, Deep Ale Fest, Night of the Kill, and our own Yule holiday too."

I listen to their explanations of how they celebrated their own holidays in their culture. It is another major difference I notice. In my world we have a holiday for nearly month, while here they only have a few.

We set up camp in some out-cropping that appears to be more man made than natural. Watching Gandalf and Thorin walk to some ruins, I figure out that it very much was man made. The poor farmer and his family. It's easy to disregard when I wasn't there to witness it. I know Gandalf and Thorin have their little banter inside what was left of the house, chatting about their views on elves until the wizard storms off...oh there he goes.

"W-Where are you going Gandalf?" Bilbo chimes up.  
"To speak with the only person that has any sense." Gandalf grumbles back.

"And who's that?" The poor hobbit has to ask.  
"Myself!" The wizard throws over his shoulder as he quickly departs from view. I don't take any insult from it. He's probably right. I kind of rushed into things myself too so who am I to object? I have another though in my own mind, which is still thinking about the trolls. Am I even ready to face that? Ugh, I'm a little late in getting cold feet now.

"Mis Alicia?" Kili approaches me. " I couldn't help but notice you sitting here by yourself with nothing to pass the time with. Perhaps I might interest you in a lesson in archery?"

"Why yes please." I grin. That truly sounds like a grand plan to me, gives my hands something to do.

Kili's bow is very hard for me to pull back till he puts another string on it.

Whether I hit near the mark or not, it is still fun practicing and learning. "You being the only one who knows how to use this so well makes you quite the asset." I compliment Kili. His silence make me stop and look at him. The younger prince's face looks as if I just told him a riddle.

"You-you're just saying that to be nice." He mutters.

"Nooo.." I shake my head, wondering why he would think that. "I don't care to do that. No! I mean I don't care to say empty things unless I'm trying to be funny but I'm not right now." I quickly correct myself. "It can't be a bad thing to be so skilled at archery."

Kili doesn't answer me immediately, but just like in the movies, he has very expressive eyes now. "No. Being an archer isn't a bad thing."

I smile a bright smile at him. "That's the spirit." I half joke at the old motivational phrase. "Are you alright?" Asking the second question more softly.

Kili raises his head back up, stepping closer to correct my elbow. "I'm fine really. Just old memories coming back. Archery just is not very becoming for dwarves you see. Most dwarves only ever pick up the weapon for hunting when times are rough. We do not have a branch of archers n our army."

I steady my stance and take the shot, I at least hit the stump but not the spot I want. "So if it's seen as a necessity to survival, why then is it frowned upon if it's pragmatic?"

Kili purses his lips. "From what I understand, it is the same as when some of my kin who work with Humans until they got better paying opportunities come. It is not frowned upon unless there are better options. For me, there had always been better options."

"I'm sorry, but I still don't understand why you would feel bad about at least practicing it. You never know when things will get harsh again and that bow could mean the difference between a meal on the table tonight or not. Especially now." I jut my chin back towards the rest of the camp indicating our situation.

With a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders, he hands me another arrow. "I'm just too different is all."

Oooh! Now I think I'm getting it. "Sounds like all the 'same' people are just jealous." I half joke. "'For every one success, it requires a hundred failures.' That's an old saying I used to tell myself to keep trying for better when it seems I'm not getting anywhere."

" Most do not see it that way." Kili counters.

"Well they don't see you're the one out here striving to get a home back for the nay sayers either." I reply wrily. "I'd like to hear what they say when they see you greeting them at the gates."

'And I really hope it isn't rest in peace prince Kili.'

The young archer blinks up at me, his own lips curling up into a small smile. He leans sideways at Thorin calling for him and Fili to watch the ponies. "Perhaps we shall pick up the next lesson tomorrow."

"Sure. Thanks Kili." I hand the bow back to him and go retrieve the arrows I shot to put back in his quiver.

As I go sit down, I am reminded of what's about to transpire this evening, in a couple of hours. Dangit I let the time get away! Bilbo is still here, pacing or having trouble sitting still since Gandalf's departure.  
"What's the matter Bilbo?" I ask.

"Oh. Well, It's just that Gandalf has not come back yet." Bilbo replies as he looks around. "You think he's lost? What if we need him soon?"

"Gandalf is the wondering wizard, not the lost wizard. I highly doubt he is lost." I Reply as I retie a shoe.

"I suppose so, but what if we need him?" He stammers a little.

"If you really need him that much, he'd be your baby-sitter, not a guide." I swivel my whole body to face him. "Don't worry Bilbo, you will be fine. You're pretty quick on your feet like that."

Bilbo stops to regard me. "Be fine about what?" His brows knit.

 _'_ _uuuuh! About talking some trolls into not eating us all!'_

"About, whatevers' worrying you. Gandalf is a big help but you're not incapable yourself."

"Hmm. Thank you for your kind words." Bilbo replies in that polite manner one would use when they're being nice but don't believe the words. But he does stop his nervous twitching a little better, so maybe it helped some. I ought to be more careful about my own words. I'm not exactly all-knowing and here I am trying to be uplifting in situations I don't know fully or can't fully talk about.

I do know that tonight we will be getting NO sleep, so maybe I can get a little catnap now…

"What's happened?! Where is Kili and the hobbit?!"

"Trolls! They took our ponies and Bilbo went to fetch them back. Kili is with him."

"Alone?!"

My eyes fly open, fluttering to adjust to the dimmer light. The camp is alive with people scooping up their weapons. Sitting up in alarm, I know exactly what is happening and I wonder if I should have warned about this problem too.

"Stay here." Thorin commands me, as if I plan on going anywhere near big hulking trolls if I don't need to. "Stay out of sight in case of danger and wait for Gandalf." He pulls out his sword and readies his shield as his men do the same with their weapons, jogging into the forests where Fili led the way. Heaving a heavy sigh through my nose.

 _'_ _wait here for Gandalf. I don't even know if he's going to be passing by here when he comes to rescue you all.'_

I wordlessly nod once as they all rush past me, barreling into the woods. The silence is welcoming to let me gather my own thoughts. One major one is if Thorin or whoever wants to accuse me for not 'seeing' this happen, what shall I say to defend myself?

 **So...Alicia is having a lot of doubt in herself, now with reality starting to sink in more. uh oh! And more of the Alpha culture explained. I figured it would just be smarter to say piece by piece through out the story, versus bombarding you with all the information at once.  
Also, I haven't seen as many reviews recently... :(**


	9. Chapter 9- The Impulse

**Hello again. Yes I took a crazy long time to get back to this. Soooorry... still hope you like it!**

Do I stay? Do I go? Do I search for Gandalf? So many options flooding through my head, I don't know which the correct action is! So for now I just stay here, chowing on the meaty snack until it's all gone, clutching Gloin's axe like it's a teddy bear. The roars and screeches get louder and now there are shouts of men. That doesn't sound right at all. Shaking my head to myself, I decide to go and investigate. With any luck I will run into Gandalf on the way there. Even in the darkness, the woods are not too hard to go through. I just follow the sounds and eventually, I am crouching behind another large old tree.

"We should save them and gut the nags first! Save the best for last!"

"No no! the nags are dumber than the dwarfies! We ought to eat them first!"

"Fine! Half for now, half for later!"

The first sight is the famous three large trolls, pounding around the large campfire while they grumble about 'all the trouble it's worth.'

There on a giant spit over the huge fire, is half the company wailing out all kinds of insults. While on a pile at the side is the rest of them, tied up, and scowling.

"Their coats might fetch a nice price in the markets." One of the men grumbles to another nearer to me. It is confusing at first, but I ignore it for now

Squinting my eyes, I see a fairly large group of people, about nine of them, some digging through the weapons and gear to loot for themselves, some watching the animals or the trolls with wary looks, giving them all a wide berth.

"We ain't selling our food!" One troll turns on him.

"We don't want the meat." The man answers. "When you're about to eat them, we shall just skin them first and you can have the rest. A small cut of our own for leading you to them."

The troll seems to like that answer. He turns back to the giant spit, hobbling over to it.

What IS THAT supposed to mean?! Did Bilbo already try to stall for time? And where did these men come from? More importantly, how am I going to get my friends out of there?

Looking down at Gloin's small axe, I test the edge on my finger nail. Pretty sharp, so it can cut through the bags and bonds the my friends on the ground have. Hmm, But what do I do when they're released? All these thoughts going through my head as I inch closer to them.

I gasp at seeing Bilbo over at the side looking semi-conscious. From here I can't tell if he was smacked unconscious or beaten. Getting him to help me with this would be perfect. Right now, Thorin is closest to me. So, down on all fours, I creep up to him, using the tree and shrub as cover. The dwarf leader flinches a little when he feels someone messing at his back. Then of course his WTF glare.

"What are you doing? Get out of here." Thorin hisses at me over his shoulder. I ignore him to cut a slice down the back of his bag that restraints him. Thorin growls deep in his throat, frustrated no doubt by me. I cut as much as I dare before ducking again. Next to Thorin is Balin being used as a pillow by Bombur and Bilbo. Behind the bush I creep their way, one eye watching the men. Balin doesn't say anything, doesn't even glance at me, doesn't even move an inch as I cut lose most of his bonds. The only time he does is when Bilbo groans in pain. "Ssh laddie."

Gloin's grumbling ceases only a few seconds as he looks up to see me reaching over Thorin to cut a hole in his encasement. "Go..go get out of here." He hisses urgently at me.

From there I make my way to Bombur. The rotund dwarf whimpers like a scared dog and I immediately put a hand on his shoulder to comfort him. Why? I don't know, call it woman's intuition. Maybe I just forgot he's a grown dwarf with a wife and thirty kids. Maybe if I didn't, I would have ducked before one of the men saw me.  
"Hey there! He yells out and makes a B line for me. I scramble away from him, but another catches me from the side. He roughly grapples with me until he overpowers me. I grunt when he clumsily falls on me. My pile of friends start to growl and squirm violently as if possessed. When the two men roughly hoist me to the ground and walk me to the open. The trolls had almost completely frozen in their doings to watch the event.

"There you are." A third man said. "Heard one of our women was stolen by some dwarves." He watches as I'm roughly escorted towards him.

"What?" I ask harshly.

An old man, the same as from Bree that gave Fili and I a hard time, comes scowling up. "Yes that's her! I told you didn't I?"

"Are you kidding me?! You teamed up with trolls for this!" I blurt out before I take the time to think of my words.

Most of them don't have anything to say after that, other than grumbles I don't hear very well.

"Here now…" he looks over at the dwarves a second before his eyes flick back to mine. "Yer the new pet. Well now, here to cause more trouble? We'll toss you in with the rest of the lot!"

"Oi! We don't eats the females! They make more food for us!"

"Yeah. Momma taught us that. We always leave the females."

The man licked his teeth. "Aye. Maybe she ain't too soiled by the dwarves. Might be we can 'ave her fer, more food makin'.." His sick grin stretches. His arm reaches forth, grabbing a wad of my shirt and yanking hard enough to hear the unmistakable ripping sound. Alarm goes off in my head hoping he didn't rip too much.

I struggle to think of the best escape hit-and-run tactic, but before I can formulate a plan, more outraged roars catch our attention.

"Don't you touch her!" Balin roars out. I mean literally, it is like his voice got deeper and gravellier as he ROARS out.

"How dare you?!" Thorin is next. Thrashing about like a croc doing his death roll. Only his hollering takes on an odd…howling sound. "Foul excuse for Men!" It even changes in tone. He twitches a little, then suddenly, Thorin's body even begins to change. His body grows in size, his face reshapes to more wolfish features. Black hair sprouts all over his body, swallowing his clothes. By the end of it Thorin had changed into an anthropomorphic dire wolf!

Even I catch myself staring stupidly at this odd change. He isn't the only one though. Balin follows his lead. He sits up, tearing the holes I made bigger as brilliant white fur sprouts over his person. His form changing and resizing to a polar bear.

"Get the black knives!" The leader beside me orders out.

Gloin's outburst goes from a person's bellow, to a mountain Ibex's bellow as horns sprout from his head to curve back. Red fur covers his body and his feet turn to hooves.

Bombur rolls over as he starts changing into a red panda. The bonds he had though, still hold on a little longer causing him to roll about more than burst forth at first until he finally pulls free. He turns his attention to Bilbo and the others still too tied up to move while the other three charges forth. People scattering about to get out of the way. I am quickly forgotten, free to also run for the hills.

Most of the men scatter or grab weapons. The trolls snort irritably.  
"Well don't just stand there!" One of the men yell. "Kill them now!"

With reminded courage, another battle takes place. Nuts to that if they think I'm jumping in now! Nope! I weave out of the way, zig zagging to get away from the bumbling Trolls also trying to catch back their escaping dinner. I nearly run into the polar bear as he tackles down a couple other guys, but when his great had turns my way, baring those great teeth, I skedaddle at a speed I didn't know I had. Then the angry red ibex comes storming by, my heart gets that 'skip a beat' feeling.

I duck behind a tree, looking back to see a lion man facing off two others. A familiar hawk attacking a troll on the other side while a wooly mammoth man knocks the troll down. I blink, rubbing one eye at a time to make sure what I see is correct. A familiar squirrel even scampers by.

All of my friends have literally turned to animal people! This was NOT in the books!

The dire wolf slashes deep gashes into another man once his weapon is out of the way. The red Ibex rams down a few others until he faces off with a troll that tries to smash it's fist down on him. The polar bear tackles down one of the men that held me captive, and he swipes away another that tried to run from him but didn't get out of the way in time. Dirt and blood is splayed everywhere, coating people, animals and the ground.

A skittering sound behind me has me turning around to see the large red squirrel that I found with Fili before. It was looking around as I put two and two together. "Bilbo?"

The red squirrel looks as if nursing something on his front paw/hand. When I go over to see, he doesn't make much acknowledgement that I'm here until I reach out to touch him, like an idiot.

The red squirrel flinches violently and hisses at me, baring his teeth and on his haunches like he's going to jump at me! I throw my hands up and back away quickly. "Sorrysorrysorrysorry!" I don't waste another second looking for a new safe spot. My mind tries to work things out, catch up with what's just happened while trying to stay calm. I must admit, this was a new development. I did not see this coming. What kind of 'seer' am I if I don't know what to do now?

Hollers from the spit remind me that there are some still in danger of the fire. I don't have time to stop and figure out a bunch of mysteries right now! Taking a deep, steadying breath, I try to get my had back in the game. Not thinking of any better plan, I sprint to one end of the spit, throwing sand on the flames in hopes of quelling the fires. It is excruciatingly hot, but as I throw more sand, gradually it gets cooler. The tables are turned much more in the Company's favor and at last from on top comes something familiar.

"The dawn take you all!" Gandalf says as he breaks the stone, and the three trolls are promptly turned to stone. Cheers erupt above my head.

I visibly relax as I see that the men too have been subdued or permanently defeated. "Oh thank God." The camp swiftly dies down, except for the few, 'get yer foot outta my back'. Gandalf hobbles his way back down to rejoin us. The animals, now more docile, walk about with their ears twitching and nose wiggling. Calm as they might be now though, I am hesitant to move from my spot, even as I meet eyes with Thorin as he walks past. His blue eyes even more piercing now if that is even possible. Gandalf casts some other spell that extinguishes the rest of the flames and the others work on freeing their kin. During all the efforts of getting down the others, my eyes are fixated on them. As if watching the movie for the first time again, with not a clue of what to expect, but then a REALLY weird bone is thrown at me. The polar bear, Balin, rears up to carefully pull away at the extra ropes. Down tumbles Ori who is caught by the lion, Fili. Bofur tumbles down, followed by Dwalin, then Dori, Nori and Bifur. Had the animals not been there to lighten their fall, they'd have a very ungraceful landing in the ashes before. Their loud complaining about the 'utter indignity of it all' has me smiling again. Those that are animals, begin to morph back into their dwarven forms. Everyone returning to the pile of belongings to help each other strap their stuff back on. I try to make it a point again not to stare bemused at the scene of Bifur needing help putting on his pants.

A chirp from my left has me tense up again. My hands are thrown up defensively. "Oh _my gosh_ I'm sorry!"

The large red squirrel's ears twitch as he flinches a little from my small outburst, but Bilbo doesn't leave me alone as I hope. His big eyes still on me, he comes closer, nudging one of my outstretched hands with his face. "Uh, I, I'm sorry I startled you earlier. I truly didn't mean anything by it." I try to search for words. "Your red coat is beautifully shiny, and a lovely bushy tail. You were so fast too, brilliant planning on stalling for time." I ramble out some kiss arse compliments. I don't even know if he can understand me still. I assume so…He's still nudging my hand, inching closer to sit in the trademark squirrel pose.

I guess this means he's not going to rip my face off.

Hey! I once heard a story about a dog getting into a fight with a squirrel in some winter forest and the squirrel won by clawing the dog to death! I have a right to be a little paranoid about a squirrel that's a little bigger than a hobbit doing the same thing to me. With on here a little bigger than the size of a hobbit I get to be wary.

Bilbo's long whiskered nose twitches a little along with his bushy tail. He makes a small nod. I can't tell if I have made him feel better or not. That curious feeling of wanting to know more wells up inside me again as I watch him. Something about his stance is almost inviting and ebbs away at my initial fright. I even get up from my crouched place to close the space between us. Bilbo shows no bother of me being near him now, in fact he doesn't even flinch when I reach a hand to his shoulder. His fur is incredibly soft under my hand. He even leans his head for a sweet little nuzzle. I snicker once under my breath.

Bofur decides to chirp up, adjusting his scarf. He smiles his kind-hearted smile at Bilbo. "Are ya alright Bilbo?"

The red squirrel chirps once before he changes back into his hobbit form, which still internally freaks me out to witness. "Yes. I'm alright thank you. You?"  
"Right as rain now that I'm not cooking alive." Bofur jokes. His twinkling eyes shift to mine and his smile falters. "And you…Lassie. Ya had us all in quite a fit. Worked out alright though, thank Mahal." One of his hand plays with his mustache. "Though, you do 'ave another shirt aye?"

"uh..well...not on me…" I stammer as I think back to what I do have.

"Let's get back to our camp with the others. Me brothers' got a sewing kit you could borrow." Bofur offers as he thumbs at the receding crowd behind him. The three of us rejoin the others back down the trail they had just blazed to come here. Upon our return, Bofur ands me the little box that holds his brother's sewing supplies after I come back from changing my shirt. The others though, only clean up what remained of our camp and hussle off to the troll cave. "Right. So… Troll cave."

 **THORIN'S POV**

I did not miss her reaction when we had changed. She handled it unsurprisingly predictable. I changed because those men were about to defile a woman right in front of us! If she had just stayed in the camp like she was ordered to, perhaps my men and I would not have lost control so easily. Though, if she hadn't shown up, I am not sure what else we would have done either. Unless Gandalf's burglar found a way to stall for more time before he took a blow to his head by the humans. While counting heads, my eyes find the burglar still as a rodent. Fitting animal for his Beta. Such creatures are known to be the thieving sort. I hope that bodes well for our quest. I am not surprised the young miss has started to warm up to him first. Most women are easily charmed by the cute things. "Let's keep going." I order.  
I pass by Dwalin who speaks to his brother in some low rumble with a questioning raised brow. Balin looked to be making his own assessment at the burglar and girl before he turns away. Gandalf's ominous observation has left me pondering about what possible darker powers could be lurking about today. I pray to Mahal that we do not encounter any more darker powers more formidable than a dragon. It is a small relief to see that our camp has not been touched either, everything still in it's place. I help load everything back onto the ponies before we resume our search for the troll cave. Kili finds it before the rest of us. The lad always had sharp senses about him. A part of me still wishes they had stayed home. I almost consider the idea of sending Kili and Fili back with the gold we find. It would serve my people well for the rest of the summer and perhaps well through winter. That is a dangerous idea too that I quickly dismiss. The treasures inside here compensate well for our troubles this night, only because none of my men were too badly harmed. Against one wall is a barrel that kept a collection of swords. Nicely made swords if I have ever seen.

"Ah. Elven blades, from the first age it appears."

Nevermind.

The wizard scowls at me. "You will not find a finer blade."

Little does he know I have made fine blades for a living these past sixty years. I relent however, as it is a sufferable weapon. The stench of the cave is becoming unbearable after a short time, so I exit for fresh air. Now that the excitement has died down, a subtle weariness seeps in. Tis not the first time at all I have gone without sleep, certainly won't be the last. I was about to sit down when I see the woman walk out of the cave, looking just as relieved as I feel to be free of the stench. In her arms is a sack of gold and a blade of her own choosing. Intriguing. "I thought you did not know how to fight with a sword."

She blinks in surprise, having not noticed me before. "I don't technically. Not anything beyond the basic five ways to hit that is. But, it's still better than being empty handed. And maybe I can learn a little more as I go."

"Seems you were better at running away than defending yourself." I reply.

"Yeah, because that's what I know how to do first." She starts smiling as though she told a joke to some crowd in a bar. It does not last long when she looks back at me though. "I choked. But, maybe I can get better."

"Choked? I saw no one's hands around your throat."

"Oh, 'choked' is also an expression where I'm from used to describe when you get scared and freeze up." The woman clarifies to me. Sometimes I do forget the different dialects humans tend to have from one another. While I am not opposed to the idea of learning to defend oneself, the woman has a long way to go before she can really consider herself a warrior of any sort. Inside I can feel the Wolf growling in it's nature to protect. Closing my eyes for a brief moment, I can already see myself wrapping around all the omegas here, separating the enemies and them. Humans are difficult to tell at first, which class they might fall in our culture till we get to observe their behavior. For her I cannot yet say whether Beta or Alpha. The fact that she is female is enough to say she needs to be protected like she was my Omega. However, images of a terrible past that nearly tore me from my own class starts to rear it's ugly head. I open my eyes to avoid reliving that dark past and turn away. I feel my face contort in the beginnings of a snarl.

"You okay? What's wrong?" The woman who has been watching me asks.

"Just how well do you think you could use that?" I question her.

"Depends on how much practice I put into it." She answers in an annoying confidence.

"And perhaps you think we may have the time to teach you? That you may be an excellent warrior in the span of mere months? Maybe not. Maybe you might just throw caution to the wind as is your talent more than being a seer, and hope you might save the day?" I lash out.

The woman, to her credit, merely looks perplexed, her eyes shifting from the ground, the rocks around us and back to me. "I want to help, and I figure a great way of doing that is to keep improving on things-"

"Must you be so optimistic all the time?!" I growl out in agitation. Those near me sense it in the air around me as I glare at the woman. "You think this is all a game do you not? You marvel at the treasures around you while my men you charmed risk their lives for you! Do not think I have not noticed."

She watches me still with a sheepish smile that falters till her face is a pensive frown. Her eyes now shifting uncomfortably at the confrontation. Most everyone's attention is on the two of us, but I care not. I might have lashed out in an un-called for, lack of sleep manner, but I care not. Perhaps I have emotionally hurt her, but I care not right now. "I assume this was the first time you have ever seen a Change before."

"…Yes."

"Do get used to it 'Seer.' It is part of who we are. A dangerous part. You would do well not to trifle with it again." He growl out at her, my eyes no doubt glaring at her in my boiling over ire. Snorting, I turn on my heel so as not to see her shifting uncomfortably. Mahal, she had better not start playing the victim now.

Fili steps out of my way, his head dipping in subtle submission. Same as Oin when I walk by.

"Something's coming!" Nori yells suddenly.  
I whirl around to the sound of swiftly rustling leaves. "To arms!" I say as I remove my newest blade. The sword slides out so fast that I nearly threw it from my hand. It's light weight catches me off guard for a moment. Though, not nearly as much as a mad looking old man sliding in on a sleigh pulled by large rabbits crying out 'theives, fire, murder.' I suppose I also should not be surprised that Tharkun knows him. He must be the odd cousin in the family.

"Tell me that isn't dung at the side of his face." Dwalin rumbles beside me.

I do not pretend to understand the ways of wizards. Though I suspect half of their oddities is just because they like to pull pranks of their own.

"What do you think they're muttering about?" Ori asks.  
"Probably some wizard magic stuff. And pipe weed." Kili answers.

The two wizards do not seem to have heard anything from us, no doubt caught up in their own conversation. I have half a mind to interrupt and tell Gandalf that we're leaving now, but wisely, I decide against it to give them a little more time. I turn away, taking a deep breath of the morning air, practicing a discipline of calm. In my anger, those bad memories hang over the back of my mind. At times I can ignore it, press it back down while other times I must just let it the thunder clouds roll by. Sometimes a close friend is able to console me out of it. Speaking of, I glance over to see Dwalin is hovering around as he always does, the loyal sod. I also see Balin once again, trying to alleviate the harsh blow of my words to the others and helping as a guide to them. There are times when I feel bad for him to have to do that, as he will often be the one to take the harsh blows they might wish to give me. Other times I sneer at the patronizing feeling it may also give me. Though there are also those rare times when someone is being particularly disagreeable, and the old mentor would have a nasty bite as bad as mine, like the finishing blow after I have crippled them.

At last the wizards conclude their chat, just as I was considering that we take the whole day to rest. I rejoin the others, waiting for Gandalf with raised brows.

"Let's be off now." Gandalf answers, hobbling past me to the ponies.

"What was that about? If I may ask."

"Yes of course you may ask Thorin." Gandalf snips. "Though tis only wizard business to be sure. Radaghast is having a little trouble in his forest and sends us his warnings and safe travels."

"What kind of trouble?" I press as we make it back to the ponies.

The wizard has a solemn demeanor about him as he exhales a deep breath. "Dangers are becoming more frequent these days. Be on your guard. There is much I must still look into myself." With that he turns away, ending the talk.

I stare in a dead-pan look at the wizard's retreating back. Oh helpful Thrakun, how your wisdom knows no bounds. Thank you for establishing that. Twasn't as if we just made that notion an hour past.

Back to our ponies, I see Oin instructing some of the others who suffered a few nicks from the hunter's blades to be sure to treat them. Small as some of them were, every warrior knows that even he smallest unchecked wound could fester into death.  
"We shall ride for the rest of the day, then stop early regain our lost sleep." I announce as I mount up with the others. Since we are all still too awake to rest, might as well take advantage of it. The morning felt grey and dull till the sun finally lights everything up. The blasted trolls, even as they're dead, managed to haunt my thoughts, bringing up past memories that still pain me perhaps till I have completed this quest. I do not have to look to know that Dwalin has sidled up to my pony.

"Twasn't yer fault." Dwalin interrupts my gloomy thoughts with the same thing I am told so many times before. I do not even glance his way. "Don't yeh start thinkin' that it is. King or no, only the fools expect you to be Mahal himself."

I do not answer, and he gives me his 'stare' till I acknowledge him.

"I know Dwalin."

"Aye you do, but yeh don't always believe it's true. I know the whiney look on yer face well enough to even say what yer thinkin.' About him. Frerin would tell ye to move on too-"  
"Do not speak for my brother as if you'd know." I snap.

"I do know Thorin because I was his friend too and I am a brother as well. I would be just like you if it was Balin. Though I also know my brother is very strong spirited and he would find peace faster if it were me he lost."

"Frerin was a beta, a young one and should not have been at that battle." I growl out.

Dwalin crosses his arms, looking at me with that raised brow and that knowing, 'go on then' face. I do not and just frown back at him. "That's it then? Yer not going to go on the whole ' I should 'ave been there because I'm the Alpha Prime. I should be protecting everyone'-"

"No Dwalin I'm not." I cut him off from his mocking. "I would be glad to let it be again, if I did not have to deal with the same too-carefree attitude with the woman."

Finally Dwalin lets it drop with his own heavy sigh. "At least Frerin also said what was on his mind. This lass is far too hard to predict for my liking. I cannot tell whether she intends her new toy to be for us or for a common enemy."

Our thoughts are interrupted by Gloin's loud complaint near the middle about some itchy problems he's having. After him, more complaints begin to bubble up for all sorts of discomforts that has me looking over my shoulders at my men. What is going on with them? Scowls on their faces are even more profound as complaints of itching, or it being too hot, or getting antsy or bored start happening. As if my men have all reverted to being dwarflings. I try to give the benefit of the doubt however. We did not get any rest, missed a meal and nearly eaten alive. Anyone can complain about that. We find a place to rest and I hope a meal would be enough to shut them up for a time. However, it is only for a time. Even Bombur is scowling about the meager meal, grumbling complaints under his breath about the food going bad. When I look at them, there is not a single sign of mold on the bread at all. Gloin is now itching as if he is a flea bitten mongrel. Bombur is saying we need to eat all the food now before it spoils. Bofur and I must separate him from the wares before he did just that. And not long after him, Bofur too starts acting odd, more so than usual. No one is sitting by him and he would suddenly start talking as if there were, or as if he was trying to sell something.  
Oin squats down next to him to try and figure out what he's on about. I do not understand what is it that has everyone out of their wits, but few of us really get any rest. I see the girl try to help Bombur and his brother by giving them someone to complain to really. It is an hour past noon when I get everyone to move out again. Within the passing hours I catch Balin pulling back to ride alongside his omega Dori, concerned about why he is suddenly so agitated. On my other side, Dwalin too hardly seems to be able to sit still. "I've gotta go. I have to go for a hunt. I need it. I need someone to sate me.." He rumbles with a wild glint in his eyes.

"Dwalin." I turn as much as I can to him. "What ails you so?" It is very unlike him to behave so unstable. The only answers he gives me is how much he does not like it here. How it does not feel right to him. I know not what to say to soothe that, this is the wilds.

Kili looks back at his distant cousin in worry when Ori too starts displaying strange behavior. We cannot go on like this. I halt the caravan an hour earlier than my previous time in the shade of rocky outcroppings. "You Fili and the girl see to the ponies." I say to Kili. Out here surely the they cannot lose track of them by trolls so easily. Marching to Oin who is trying to help keep Ori from tattooing himself with his ink and quills, I take the whole bag from the young dwarf. "Oin, what is happening?" There must be some explanation to everyone's sudden odd behavior.

"Oi! Give it back!" Ori interrupts. Even I am surprised at his outspokenness towards me. Though I take no insult as I know he is not in his right state of mind. "No one will know who we are if we don't have matching symbols. I gotta record everything!" he complains in some nonsensical way. I keep him back with one hand until suddenly he gets angry enough that feathers start to sprout from his arms. He is releasing his Eagle. Oin moves to suddenly tackle the poor lad down, wrestling with him till he gets his hands bound. "Sorry about this laddie." The healer says mournfully as he manages to subdue the artist.

I expected Dori or Nori to come to their brother's aid, but I see Dori is slouched on the ground looking incredibly pale and weakened with Balin hovering to help cool him off from the extra sweating. Nori is with Bilbo, the two trying to keep Bombur away from the food.

"I cannot tell the exact source. Something we were exposed to between Bree and this moment." Oin grunts. "Couldn't have been something we ate!" He pulls out a vial and uncorks it, wafting it in front or Ori's nose. Whatever it is, it helps a little to calm him down. He shoves the vial into Bifur's hand. "Go do the same with the others. You may have to repeat it a few times."  
Without another word, the warrior rushes off to fulfill the request. I trace back my memories to think of what the cause might be.

"Come 'ere girly." Dwalin growls from where the ponies are. I whirl around to see him approaching her.  
"How's about I show you how to use that sword of yers." He is blocked by Fili and his brother. The two try to stave off their cousin. Skilled as they are, it is no match once brown fur starts sprouting on his person. The last legible words I hear him say before it becomes a roar is "Sate me." Oh no…

Alicia stares wide eyed at Dwalin's face shifting into that of a bear. His body growing and changing into his alpha form, easily tossing Kili and Fili aside. The ponies neigh and scatter. The woman back pedals away. "Hold on. Easy Dwalin. There's no need for this." She tries to maintain calm. It is not enough at this point. I sprint towards him, my own feet becoming paws to tackle him as he lunges for Alicia. The girl dodges out of the way at a safe distance from us all, watching in helpless wariness of the scene. I wrestle with Dwalin for Mahal knows how long until Gandalf steps in with his magic.

"Enough of this!" he yells as his magic bursts from his staff. The blueish sparks are scattered about the whole camp and I feel as if I am suspended in the air for a short time, then dropped to the ground, any remnants of frustrations dissipating like mist. Dwalin's heavy body is half dropped on me however. The wizard peers at his under the brim of his hat. "Hmm…Those confounded hunters. Seems there was more to their 'black knives' than just the color."

"What?!" Bilbo exclaims. "You-you mean to say that they might have been poisoned?" He asks from the other side of a red panda.

Gandalf frowns solemnly. "I do believe they were.." he looks up suddenly and casts another spell that forms a semi dome of blue around us. Arrows are suddenly deflected from us. Squeezing from under Dwalin's girth, I growl out of frustration. How did anyone get this surprise attack without us detecting them?! Another gang of hunters remove themselves from their hiding places, notching new arrows. My ears are set back as I growl out dangerously. Picking up a throwing axe, I angrily throw it at the nearest hunter when Gandalf's shield goes down. It hits his shoulder just enough to maim but not kill unfortunately. The bastards. I release another howl, a battle cry that is answered by my kin. It is time to end this!

 **I didn't mean to make this chapter so much longer, but I don't regret it. I honestly am not sure when the next time I might update again, though I hope to continue it as well as get back to one of my older fanfics lol. Thank you for sticking with me. God Bless!**


	10. Chapter 10- Dropping Cues

**Sorry this took so long! hope you still enjoy!**

I don't know where to look first! So many things happening at once! The ponies have fled. Those who are poisoned suddenly changed forms violently. Dwalin turned into this Huge Kodiak grizzly bear. Gloin changed into a red furred Ibex. Dori too, who was at first lying on the ground, suddenly slowly picks himself up, eyes blazing angrily at the sound of Nori's cry of pain when a hunter smacked him. The eldest Ri starts growing in size, his whole form being covered in silver fur, horns sprouting from his head. His whole form changes to a bi-peddler silver buffalo. Balin tries to stay him, but he is almost completely ignored

Once again my mouth hangs agape, staring at everyone like they're aliens as one by one, they all start changing form when the hunters holler out their own orders and battle cries. Gandalf wields his staff blocking the volley of arrows, but he could not stop the company. Bofur curls up involuntarily, and as he changes from, A large spotted hyena is standing now where he is. Oin Spins around as suddenly teeth begin to protrude from the sides of his mouth into full on tusks during his change. Bifur changes into the craziest, wildest honey badger I have ever seen, and that's saying something when talking about honey badgers.

"There they go lads! Get them while they're animals!" I hear some man yell out.

A speculation forms in my head at that. The poison they had, was it designed to encourage them to transform, so that when they tried to kill them, they could take their hides? SSSSSSIIIIIIICK! Strategically sick! Yet I am not so surprised as the also look to be humans and humans can think like that. A struggling Ori catches my attention. He is a sitting duck right now if any of them manage to worm their way around the mass of Oin the mammoth. Still, I don't like to see him that way. Rushing to his side, I struggle with the ropes to untie him. When it finally gets lose, the young Ri flails them off and he too turns into an eagle. My hands are thrown over my face in defense from his flapping. That is not the end of the danger for me. Dwalin has found me again. Gasping as his shadow looms over me, rumbling in a gravely roar as he leers at me, teeth revealing in a smile, or snarl, I can't tell the difference right now. I do know I need to move out of the way. Up I go, but he doesn't take his eyes off me! Panic starts to bubble up when he comes at me again. He quickly manages to pin me down by one of my ankles, sending me tumbling back to the ground. Easily he clambers over me, hot breath on my face and then a wet tongue dragged across it. Perhaps his 'bear hug' would be more enjoyable if it didn't seem as if he was trying to kill me by crushing me. My heart is beating into my ears as I try to escape. His teeth teasingly scraping along my shoulder blades and back. A hard grunt is stressed from my mouth as his great head rubs hard against me like a cat would bunt against their owner, only less enjoyable because this is a six hundred pound grizzly pressing down on me slowly.

If it wasn't for some hunters to show up, launching arrows, I don't know if I would have ever gotten free by myself! Dwalin roared out in anger, now turning his attention to them. He charges for a hunter, releasing me to run. I crest a hill to get a better vantage point, but a screeching Honey badger has me yelping and backpedaling. Misplacing my feet, I end up tumbling backwards down the hill. At the foot of the hill, I barely pick myself up in time to see Dori barreling past me. He rams into a hunter who would have grabbed me.

Nothing else is in my mind now except run. GTFO ASAP. So I once again run to get away, though it is much harder now since I am dodging Men, arrows, and animal, weaving around to get out of the way.

I am out of breath quickly though thanks to the uneven terrain. I can't run anymore and am winded. I'm leaning up against a tree just to stay upright. "Oh man…what do I do? Come on, think! How do I help this situation?" I huff to myself as I mentally berate myself. Because of this distraction, I did not hear the approach of a big polar bear until the grunts happened. There he is, fur spattered in blood as he ambles near me, slowing to a stop about ten feet from me. I'm too tired to run. There is no escape anymore. I shouldn't have strayed far from Gandalf. We watch each other for long seconds as he lumbers ever closer. Until a horn suddenly blows, both of our attention is turned to it's source and around a bend I see riders, armored riders coming in with bows drawn or halberds at the ready. Their shining armor gives me the distinct notion of elves. As they approach, one of them fires a warning shot.

The polar bear roars angrily and before I have much chance to run, his great paw swipes my way, easily pulling me under as his great weight stands above me. He has me pinned under him, grunting and roaring at the approaching elves. Though unlike Dwalin, he doesn't press his weight on me. Rather, he is just keeping me under his body…protectively...

They notch arrows or spears ready to take him on.  
"We are coming my lady!"  
"Wait WAITWAITWAIT!" I yell out. "Help my friends! They're being attacked by hunters! Gandalf is there!" My thin arm sticks out from under the polar bear, pointing back the way I came.

Most of them pause, unsure of themselves at first. A couple of them dismount, staying here while the others ride off to join the fray. The arctic bear snaps his teeth when the two get too close.

"Are you well my lady? Has he harmed you?" One of them asks.

"Uh…no…No he's not." The realization dawns on me when the question is finally asked. Gingerly I try to right myself. "Please don't hurt him."

The soldiers respectfully keep their distance, which helps the agitated bear above me to relax a little.

Another howl from the dire wolf erupts. The bear above me looks torn between staying here or going back. He lets out one last low growl at the elves, then pounds away back to the others.

The two-remaining come rushing to my side helping me up. "Come. Let us get you to safety."

"My friends. They've been poisoned by the hunters and I don't know what the cure is." I say frantically as one helps me up.

The elves help me to one of their horses. "He shall assist on however way we can." One of them said dutifully. Though I doubt he really means it more than his duty requires of him.

"They could die TODAY." I emphasize. "Those hunters know what the poison is. They may know the cure!"

"Please calm yourself young miss. We shall do everything in-"

"Then can we stop talking here and move?!" I interrupt him impatiently.

The soldier's lips make a tight-lipped grimace as he gets on the horse behind me. The horse is guided in the general direction of the fight. It looks like it's changed now that the elves have shown up. Now it seems there are no more hunters, which makes me worry even more. Not for their lives to be brutally honest, but for some useful information.

There is another elf in maroon colored armor with Gandalf. I immediately recognize him as The Lord himself, Elrond. Thanking my rider, I get down to join them. My eyes are more drawn to the company of animals. They're either trying to protect each other from the elves or on the ground feeling the effects of the poison. Once I get closer, I notice there is a battered-up hunter tied up on the ground before Elrond.

The elf lord turns back to the hunter, glaring a hard stare at him as he gracefully walks back. "For your own sake, you would do well to tell me the cure. Either you shall tell me of your own accord or I shall rip it from your mind."

The hunter, whether he was intimidated or not, is doing a good job of hiding it. "Don't matter which way, you'll kill me or you'll leave me for someone else to do it for ya."

"I am strict on time. You will waste no more of it." Elrond replies as he walks up as another guard holds the hunter still from behind. Lord Elrond slaps his hand on the hunter's forehead. I have no idea what he's doing exactly, but it's making the bounty hunter's eyes roll back and shallow gasps.

I can admit, I didn't know Elrond could mind read, or whatever he's doing….Looks painful or incredibly shocking. When he finally lets go, the hunter gasps as if he was held under water, almost falling completely limp to the ground. He turns to another elf, commanding something in his native tongue. Said elf jumps back on his horse, riding out as fast as they can go. Gandalf catches the questioning look on my face. "He has gone to fetch the herbs they need for the cure."

"What can I do?" I ask Gandalf.

The wizard's eyes are narrowed in some pensive glare at whatever dark thoughts going through his head. "We have little else to do now but wait. Though, I should introduce you to my old friend who has come to aid us so swiftly. Elrond. This is Miss Alicia. Miss Alicia? This is a dear friend of mine and Lord of the last homely house, Elrond."

Elrond's glowering demeanor diminishes when he looks at me, the more venerable air that he normally has in the movies returning. "A pleasure to meet you young miss. I will see to it that you and your companions are healed and rested to the best of my abilities."

"Thank you for your help." I reply cordially. I really don't know what else to say. My face is smoothened to a deceptively calmer look. Inside my head though, I am starting to really question myself. I cannot make myself look at the company for too long and yet I feel bad not looking as if ignoring them. Thorin and Oin coax them all back into their dwarven forms as they rush bout to help their kin. It is not much longer than thirty minutes perhaps, when the soldier returns with a heavy pack. He and Elrond tear into it swiftly, taking out it's contents of all sorts of medicinal supplies. Even Oin jogs over to assess what they had to work with. He does not verbally object, so I take that as a good sign that they have everything they need to help the others. Hating this feeling of standing around and doing nothing, I tentatively rejoin the others on the ground.

Gloin's glower is the first thing that greets me, though I take no offense to it. Beads of sweat drizzle down his forehead as he growls unintelligible words more than talking. "The elves and Oin are working on a cure." I try to re assure him. Gingerly, my hand reaches out to his shoulder as my mind thinks of what to use to clean up the sweat. However, as I got closer, a deep guttural growl emits from his throat. His shoulders tense up as he hunches a little like a growling dog. It is so sudden that it makes me pull away from him almost flinching like. Gloin's eyes flash at me, a wild glint and angry glint in them, his arms around him like he is trying to hold back from transforming again.

Smartly, I leave him be. I see Bofur who looks as if too tired to even sit up as he rocks a little. "Bofur?" I call out as I kneel by him. He looks up at me with a look I never thought his face capable of making. Reddened, glassy eyes like sobbing; even a couple rivulets on his face.

"…and it was all me fault." He says to me in a thick voice. "I shouldn't 'ave said yes. I shouldn'ave let Bifur go and let me brother over eat.." He rambles in despair. " I've gone an' failed me da, ma worked too hard and for naught.."

"Bofur, now hang on. Just stop and take a deep breath." I crouch down next to him, rubbing soothing circles on his back. His head crashes into my shoulder, his arms flying around me in a hug as if I am some lifeline to pull him out of the water. Even as a dwarf, his is very strong and nearly tackles me to the ground. A big reminder of how, insignificant I am. His sobbing turns unintelligible as he rambles about past failures he has had. I continue to try to soothe him as he slowly calms down. "Come on now, you're alright. Everything's alright-"

"-It's not alright because I could've done something else, could have been something else!" He sobs. His grip on me tightens to a painful pressure.

"Yes it will. Stop talking and just breathe. Come on." I say a little more firmly, gently trying to ease him up again. One of my thumbs wipe away the loosened tears on his cheek. I feel a hard stare on me, and twist around to see Dwalin still watching me with animalistic, hungry eyes. He is right on us when I notice him.

Dwalin's smirk is a smug smear on his face that does not look good on him. At least not in my opinion. His meaty hand grips my upper arm easily as he rumbles in khuzdul. He suddenly nuzzles my bony shoulder, finding his way in the crook of my neck in a way that has me shrugging him off violently. "Stop it." I snap at him. Bofur on my other side groans and starts looking sick as if he can't keep down his breakfast. I am suddenly squirming to get away from lover-dwarf and emo-dwarf. Their grips are tight though.  
Suddenly Thorin is marching up, glaring blue laser beams at me. A wolfish snarl on his face as he growls and snaps harshly. Bofur and Dwalin freeze up enough for Thorin to roughly grab me by my shoulders and yank me away from them.  
"You have caused enough problems amongst my men. Away and burden us no more woman! You're naught but trouble!" Thorin snarls at me, releasing me with a rough push that I don't catch before tumbling back to the ground.

The physical recover is quick and effortless, since it is a simple push to the soft earth with my hands to help recover, the emotional recover though is not. I can only gape in shock as 'the truth comes out'. Thorin turns on his heel, commanding something to Dwalin in khuzdul as he helps his friend hobble away. I could grab a rock and throw it at Thorin's head. I could take him on in a fight and lose miserably but gain some semblance of respect. I don't do any of that though. I stand and stare like some cheesy romance film. All that's left is the rain. Thanks to my skill, I know how to hide my real emotions fairly well. Wow what a sucker punch…  
Though, I really shouldn't be too surprised, Thorin's always snapping at someone when he's frustrated. This time it's just me. Still, I'm not here to be anyone's doormat. I return to the previous spot I was standing with Gandalf earlier, though the wizard is in deep conversation with Elrond right now as they return to the healer working with Oin.

I do notice that we haven't really tried to move in the past thirty minutes. I personally am eager for all of us to get to the safety of Rivendell, even if it was an elvish city that the others would not like very much. "Are we going to stay here for the rest of the day?" I ask Gandalf.

The wizard quirks his brows at me. "However long it shall take for them to recover enough strength to make it to Rivendell I'd wager. What is it?" The wizard raises a brow in question.

I let my concern show on my face while I choose my words wisely. "I think we ought to be moving now. If we hang around here too long, the danger I was agitated about earlier can easily catch up to us. Rather we be tired by the time we get to Rivendell, able to rest fully in the city security, than out here betting against time before another attack."

Gandalf's weathered face is sometimes hard for me to tell what he might be thinking or feeling. Can't just do a zoom-in on his face to see that subtle smile like in the movies. His head bob I take as an agreement though. "I think that would be wise." The wizard turns to Thorin who is regarding us with his own inquisitive stare. "Once the others have recovered enough, we must make the last home stretch to Rivendell. It will be much safer for all of us."

Thorin scowls, he even turns his scowl towards me. "You suggest we stay with our enemy? Is that from a vision or another wild hunch?"

"You have no enemies here Thorin except that which you make yourself. We need aid whether you admit it or not." The wizard retorted back.

The lead dwarf's shoulders rise and fall with a slow exasperated sigh before turning away to give the orders to his men. Mixed emotions are seen on everyone's face about it, to the point that it makes me want to take back my suggestion. I can't start contradicting myself now though, not on this. Oin continuously makes as much of the cure as he can, along with the help of another elf. I am happy to see that he does not share the same resentment towards them as Thorin does. He has a good enough sized batch made to give to everyone again.

I have no remorse not putting in any effort to help. Let them struggle for all I care now. Although I do know that last thought is childish, I still get some entertainment from my inner angry monologues. In my blackening mood, the elf that helped me earlier comes up, offering to escort me to the city. I don't hesitate at all to accept that offer. I truly don't want to be around them right now about as much as they don't want me around. Though I couldn't help glancing over my shoulder one last time, I am happy to get outta there and into the city. Needless to say we do not go down the narrow path shown in the movie, but more of this hidden one that I would not have noticed too easily till we turn a corner into the Hidden Valley. The beauty still just as serene as it was always portrayed in the books and movies, sadly not enough to make me feel completely better. We ride across this bridge over the river and are greeted by another elf, one looking every bit the studious individual known as Lindir.

He looks up from some paper, greeting us with raised brows. The guard explains the situation to him, to which he nods and politely bows to me to introduce himself. "I am Lindir. How shall I call you?"

"Alicia. Nice to meet you." I have a small smile on my face.

"Come this way Lady Alicia. I shall show you to a room you may use. I trust you are not in need of medical attention?"  
"No thank you." I double check myself. I really didn't get anything more than small cuts or bruises.  
The elf instructs as he glides down the hallway leading to my room. "Straight down this hall leads to the kitchens whenever you hunger. I shall send someone to tend to you shortly."

The room he takes me to a tranquil room with three open archways that lead to a balcony. Some women carved into the support pillars with vines snaking around them, completely oblivious to the leaves that litter the floor of the openings. Far on the other side is the 'bathroom' where the tub is. Never had a tub looked so much like a God-send. I waste no time starting it up and easing myself in the tub. Wash, lather, rinse, repeat! I go through this process until my fingers get pruny.

The door opens, and a melodious female voice announces herself. She gets my dirty clothes and even lays out some for me to wear in the meantime. It is one of their popular flowing dress attires. Not really my style but beggars can't be chooser after all. So I change into it, already thinking about paying a visit to the tailors to talk about something more my style. My hand hesitates over the door knob of my room for a second after I am finished. Do I want to go back out there? Has the company arrived yet? My stomach growls, helping me make up my mind to leave.

From the kitchens, I see another elf rushing by with some medical supplies. Had I not been looking up, I might have missed her entirely. Peaking my head out after making a sandwich, I nosily follow suit with my sandwich of course.

From a no-glass window that gave a good view of the healing wards, I see all the dwarves in clear view. Having been directed to beds to rest on, the healers bustle about making the herbal remedy or boiling water. Those that were not poisoned also barked out requests to be met, hardly giving a 'thank you' or even a nod in gratitude for the elves' help. My first thought is to jump in and join the elves, but I hesitate on even doing that. I don't think any of them really want me around right now. Not that the majority are even happy at all to have to be in elvish healing wards no doubt. No, I think I might just get in the way like the first time. Sighing inwardly, I walk away to leave them at their duties. It feels a little wrong, walking away from a scenario where I could be of some help, but what Thorin said encourages me to stay away. I know, I shouldn't take what he says personally, in nearly every story, he gives the OC an earful about something. Strange, 'OC' never bothered me until now.. 'Other Character'….my mind begins to associate that phrase now with 'The Expendables'. Though I wish I could say it is because I do cool actions stunts, but in this sense it is more like just an expendable space filler. On my way back to my room with some tea I start really contemplating my place here. If things like these keep happening, how much of the future can I 'predict'? How long can I keep up the act of being a Seer? Also since I am here in Rivendell, do I have a real reason to carry on with the company anymore? Even if I did march ahead, hypothetically speaking, make it all the way to Erebor even in one piece, what am I going to do? Tell Thorin he is going to fall for gold sickness if he stays in that mountain after they open it? Sooo, after Smaug is dead just go ahead and lock it back till Gandalf gets back.

As if.  
I need a hug. That means it's bed time. Certainly my internal clock has been changed. I used to go to bed around eleven or twelve, now I go to bed around eight or nine. This was due to our schedule of camping before the sun sets, falling asleep within the hour or two, then waking up around sunrise to start the day again. Though, tired as my body is, my mind doesn't let me fall asleep peacefully.


	11. Chapter 11- Answering the Call

**My oh my! have I been gone for a long time! I didn't think anyone was still interested in this story and so I forgot about it...but if you still like it, I shall try to continue it. :)**

 **DWALIN**

Odd smells slowly pull my consciousness from sleep. I am not sure just when I fell asleep. The last thing I remember is that we all were out in the field, running from some filthy Men….Oh Mahal's bloody boots. I growl as I pat the bed for the sheet, pulling it up to cover my face. A snarl on my face seems ever more present with the memories of events being recalled in my head.  
Something pokes my shoulder and cheek till I snarl and snap at it literally.  
"Ah there you are brother. I was afraid we might have lost you again."  
"Shut it."  
"You really gave those rascals a-runnin'."  
"Shut yer yap."  
The sheet is pulled from my face to openly glare at my brother. He blinks at me, raising one brow and a half smile on his face. "I see." He huffs. "Oin has prepared a serum for us to take, just as a precaution for us all."  
I groan until he practically pushes me to sit up. He puts a cup in my hand and takes a seat on the stool next to me with his own cup. I look down at the stuff that looks like some kind dark tea. I take a sip and find it to be so. Never been that much of a tea drinker, only ever had a cup rarely but the stuff does not bother me.  
"How long 'ave I been out?" I grumble over the tea cup.  
My brother sits on a stool beside me, nursing his own cup. "It's the late morning, half past the eleventh hour. You missed breakfast. I woke you just to take the medicine and you can go back to sleep if you wish."  
"What's happened since?"  
"You remember the elves came to aid us when the hunters nearly collared us? After such Tharkun had to cast a sleep spell upon us, as most of us were nearly lost to their poisons. It's effects may still have influence, but the deadliest part has been quelled." One of his hands reach up to rub at his temple.  
I rub an eye as I recall everything I can, and then it hit me like an anvil. What I did while I was infected. Oh Mahal the acts I have committed, or was about to. How deplorable.  
"And the girl?"  
"She is safe. No harm done." Balin re-assures.  
"Does she remember everything?"  
"Aye of course."  
"Then, I need to clear things up with her, and anyone else who has _questions_." I grumble out the word 'question' with threatening implications.  
Balin raises a questioning eyebrow at me. "And what are you going to do exactly? The lass has a good enough head on her shoulders-"  
"I don't care what she thinks!" I bark back. "I'd be all too happy to punch it out of anyone who thinks I have any sort of interest in that human!" I rip the sheets from me, throwing my legs over the edge. "I don't like her, never did from the beginning. I only tolerate her out of respect to you brother. She hasn't been of much help to any of us. She ought to stay here or someplace away from us." I stand up, shakily at first but I gain my balance quickly, draining what is left of the medicinal tea, I put the cup down and slip back on my boots.  
I hear my brother sigh and shake his head, I am sure I can feel him rolling his eyes too when I leave the room.

On my way, I pass by a yard where Thorin and Kili are practicing with the bow while Fili examines a few other blades and weapons from other parts of middle earth. He smiles up at me. " Oi, Master Dwalin is alive."  
Thorinput down his bow, a rare smile o nhis face too as he grips my forearm. "Good to see you well brother."  
"Forgive me for my earlier weakness." I reply.  
Thorin shakes his head. " You are not to blame for this. Even then you were doing only what comes naturally."

"Master Dwalin likes miss Alicia!"  
"Boy I will shove that bow down yer throat! I was drugged just like you!" I snap irritantly.  
Kili wisely stops talking, only to keep grinning that oblivious puppy smile of his. Ugh…

A subtle snort of amusement escapes Thorin before he turns back to me. "The elves say that they either ended the hunters or some of them retreated. He has brought in two of them for questioning when I ma ready. I have not questioned them yet until all my men have recovered."  
"So we are all accounted for then? We should find out who send the bastards." I growl out.  
"My sentiments exactly. Have you eaten? I would have a proper interrogation before one of my kin suddenly eats them." Thorin half jokes.  
"Are you going now?" Fili asks.  
"Yes. Go and get Balin. Tell him to meet us at Lord Elrond's meeting hall." Thorin orders as the two of us leave. " we shall continue when I come back Kili."  
The young archer nods and he resumes his practice. I leave with Thorin, swinging by the kitchens to grab something to hold my appetite over for now.  
We find the elf lord in quick time. He greets us with the formal tree shagger greeting, my elder brother standing in waiting along with Gandalf.

Elrond leads us down one of his halls, one that is clearly not often occupied. Two guards stand there, give a solute and open the door for us all. Inside are the two men, incarcerated in an all-too-nice cell for the criminals. Elves. Even their dungeons are clean and civil. The men, despite having better living conditions than most cells I have seen, look miserable and grouchy.

Gandalf leers at them. "Hmm. Is that Barus? I remember when you were but a small boy, running the streets of Archet. I would never suspect you to turn to such underhanded deeds."

Said Barus sneers at him. "Guess not all old men are wise."

"You dare to threaten the lives of my men. I would have answers boy. Who sent you and why?" Thorin cuts right to the point.

"What does it matter now? Ya've gone and killed the lot of us. Yer troubles done." He turns his back to us.

The other in the next cell, a clearly older man, remains silent until I step forth. His eyes lazily drift up to mine, only to grimace and look away. "Ye'd better have better answers than yer friend. I'm the grisly bear an' I haven't eaten much, just so I could tear your throat out with my teeth."

The man makes no response. "You think these leves will protect you? You think these bars are strong enough to hold me? I can throw a warg's body two hundred feet as a dwarf." I slam my palm against the bars of the cell, rattling it loudly. It does the trick in getting him to flinch violently. "How much stronger am I as a hungry, angry bear? Wanna find out?"

Elrond looks to one of his guards, who gets the message and he unlocks both the cell doors.  
I grin wickedly as I throw it open to step in. Thorin does the same with the young boy who tries a meager attempt to fight back until my king punches him in the gut and grabs him in a choke hold. Balin called out a warning once the boy was starting to pass out.  
"Answer my questions." Thorin commands again. The young boy hesitates, but the middle aged human I have starts clucking as I nearly have his arm broken.

"Twas an orc! Agh! Some orc I ain't never seen before, hired us cuz we were good at tracking, better than his wargs. Said he was left behind and lost yer trail one night, some time ago, and after the heavy rains." He grunts out.

Gandalf narrows his eyes as he listens.

"An orc? Despicable. What could they have promised you to choose to work for them?" I ask.

"Gold. He already paid our lead man half the coin and promised we'd have the riches he'd take from you. Said his prize was your head. The others we could have their pelts." The middle aged man groans out.

What orc would truly know of our 'riches'? Sure, twas no secret to anyone that our kind would have some treasure holed up somewhere. Though these enemies clearly must know who Thorin is.

Balin and Gandalf share a look before the wizard asks a question. "Who is your lead man? And what is the orc called?"

Neither spoke until I wrenched the older man's arms more so, I can feel the creaking protest of his bones. I grimace, begrudging the loyalty these humans seem to possess. Tis rare to see such a thing in these feeble creatures. In my anger, I had not noticed my strength until I hear the outcry. I broke one of the man's arms accidentally.  
I let him crumple halfway to the ground, keeping a vice grip on his other arm. "Names. Give us names." I growl out.  
Neither still have budged.  
Thorin too starts breaking bones, starting with the boy's fingers. The two of us breaking bones until Thorin is down to the other hand, and I broke the arms, elbows and wrists.  
Elrond steps forth towards Thorin and the boy. "Allow me." He says simply, kneeling in front of him and placing a hand on his head as Thorin holds him down. The elf closes his eyes, thin brows furrowed in concentration as we all wait in silence impatiently.  
At last he opens his eyes, the boy gasps and has a look of horror on his face.  
"We are finished here. Come and I will answer your questions." Elrond stands up and leaves swiftly.

"We have nothing from them!" Thorin argues.  
"I have read his mind master dwarf. Dwell no more amongst the wicked as one of the corrupt and come with me." Elrond orders formally for his shoulder and leaves.  
"Did he just call us corrupt?!" Thorin asks incredulously.  
I growl, glaring balefully down at the crumpled man beneath me. He looks as if he has already accepted death, grimacing for it to come. I want to bash him again, but Gandalf urges us both in agitation. "And is that not what a torturer is?! Leave them be already and lets be off!"

Confounded wizard, uppity elf! I drop the man and leave the cells as the guards lock them back up. Onto the upper room, all are gathered there waiting expectantly from the elf lord.

The elf looks at us with a fixed stern stare. "Their leader is known as 'The Boss'. He never reveals his real name or have they ever met him in person. Few have. He always relocates, looking for more to hire. This is how the boy was recruited, his family was in dire need of the money and so Barus worked for him for the past eight years. Their 'boss's home is always relocated as well. Last they met was in Weather Hills, where they also met the orc that hired him. And that orc was the pale orc Azog."

Suddenly it feels like icicles are forming in my heart. "It cannot be." I barely breathe out.

"He died of his wounds long ago. And otherwise should have been dead." Thorin argues.

"I do not know how the Defiler has defied death so far, but he is still alive, still hunting you Thorin Oakenshield."

"They lost our trail as we were passing the midgewater?" Gandalf asks.

"Yes. And so they hired the mercenaries." Elrond nods. "Although the Men have failed, the orcs will still be hunting you."

"This makes our journey even more dire." Balin speaks up. "For now we are racing against orc scum, watching for more ambushes, towards a dragon."

"We must not give up now. The tides have been against us far worse before and we still have thrived. We cannot give up when the odds are against us once more." Thorin replies. He looks back to Elrond. "I thank you, for all your aid and the aid of our map once it is read."

The elf dips his head slowly. He leaves the four of us in silence.  
Balin breathes deeply in and out of his nose. "Thorin my lad. I said it before and I shall say it now for there is no shame in turning back. We stay until the map is read, then we resume the quest next year, when the roads are safe."

"I have a price on my head. The roads shall never be safe for me until my enemies are gone." Thorin answers. "As the king, rightful heir to Erebor, I may never be free of enemies entirely. Why must I make my people wait longer because I fear the road ahead?" he looks us both in the eyes. "If you choose differently however I will not fault-"

"We're not leaving you Thorin." I interrupt. "You are my king, through and through."

"We're with you son." Balin adds on. "Whether you choose to go forth or not."

Thorin pats us both on our shoulders in a brotherly greeting, granting us another rare smile and moment we often shared on hard times through the years.

He pulls back," Let us get some rest while we can."

With that, my brother and I depart the room. "I'm still hungry. Let's grab a meal for ourselves."  
"Not for me, I've already eaten. I heard about a study and artifact room somewhere here."  
"Fine. More for me, and you stick go stick yer nose into whatever shiny knick-knack you find then."  
"Ho ho laddie yer hoppin' for an earlier grave than me!"

Sometimes I get a kick out of teasing my brother at times I must admit. Finding the kitchens was not hard either as someone is already cooking in there and the aroma is easy to pick up on. My plate is filled with meats, bread and sweets. I was told Bombur had to talk some sense int the elves and it seemed to have worked. Once I finish eating and drinking my fill, the next is to search for the lass.

I search about the house for her, first her room, which smells heavily of her, but she is not there.  
I do finally find her wandering about like a lost duckling, taking a right turn to a porch overlooking the lush forest, it is somewhat harder to pinpoint precisely her scent here, so similar to a sweetened rainwater it is. I walk forth to catch up to her. She sees me before I get too close, still blinking in surprise. At least she is not completely unawares of her surroundings…  
"Miss Alicia." I say habitually. "We must talk, about what happened in the fields."  
"Ar-right." She says simply, regarding me expectantly.  
I have a wee trouble making eye contact for too long, embarrassed as I am. "I do not want you getting the wrong idea. I was drugged, I do not like you."  
She blinks once, her face haven't changed, as if waiting for me to say more. Odd, I was expecting her to look offended or some nonsense. "Do you understand?"  
"I understand, for the most part yes. Everyone was acting weird not just you. I really want to know what caused that and why. Especially what to do should it happen again." She grimaces and waves her hand dismissively.

"We were indeed poisoned with something that coated the black blades the bastards fought us with, what exactly I know not. I am no expert of herbs. Cowards do things like this for many reasons." I reply. "Should it happen again, run. Just run and find some place safe and difficult for us to get to."

She still looks unsatisfied with that answer, still grimacing in her thoughts. The broody pauses reminding me of Thorin at times when he gets moody. She looks back to me, her face softening some. "Thanks for the clarification. For the record though, I didn't take it personally, I just didn't know how to stop it is all."

"Hmph." I grunt and turn away. "Some seer you are."

"Bitch I didn't see you doing anything to stop it either _Smookoms_." Her soft tone instantly gets sharp at my back.

I do not know what that word means, though it insinuates something like a love-sick fool. "Seems I was being misled, falling into a trap someone should have seen coming." I send another barb, hiding my small amusement at her little flame.

"I'm a Seer in training, not a babysitter." The woman huffs behind me. I do not turn around so that my smirk is not easily seen. Amusing, but she still couldn't hold a candle to even the shyest of dwarrowdams I'll wager.

 **TWO DAYS LATER  
**  
 **Alicia**

I am in the library, admiring the many books and maps, artifacts and scrolls that they have here. Who knows how long it would take me to read all these things. And then twice that just to be able to remember all the information I tried to cram in my head. Turning round a bookshelf, I see the lord Elrond himself, in low conversation with another elf. I quickly try to turn back the other way, but he saw me already.

"My lady Alicia." He calls out.

I freeze a second, pivot back and to return to the alcove he and his companion are sitting at. I plaster on a smile. "Good afternoon Lord Elrond, and sir." I dip my head in polite acknowledgement.  
The other returns the same movement.

"Greetings Lady Alicia. I am Lindir, pleasure to meet you." He says simply.

Elrond returns his kind smile to me. "You have an interest in the old records as well?"

"Old or new, knowledge in general really." I reply. Suddenly that answer did not sound as cool as it did in my head.

"I was just talking with Lindir here about expanding the library a little.."

"So they may start holding noisy parties in my peaceful library? This isn't the kitchens." Lindir pouts.

I shrug once. " Where I'm from, many books stores tend to have a café in or near them. There's something about having a drink and a snack while one reads." I smile.

"SO thatthey may spill their meal upon my well-kept furnishings or, Valar forbid, on the books themselves?" Lindir nearly went pale from the thought.

"Uh, well. Most people are more careful than that or they would have to pay for the damaged merchandise." I make a half smile.

Elrond laughs at Lindir's huffing and puffing at the thought. "Our esteemed guest may be onto something. Lindir, could I ask the favor of bringing us some of those tarts in the back for us. Worry not, we shall move to the balcony."

Lindir shot Elrond one last look before inclining his head to do as bid.

"Mithrandir has told me that you are a seer of sorts." Elrond continues when we are alone. He swings one hand out to where the open balcony is just a short walk away.

"Of sorts. Yes." I reply, with little more else to say than that.

"I trust you have guided your friends as safely as possible haven't you." Elrond muses, slowly turning to me.

"As safe as one person can." I answer in humble honesty. His gaze at me is start to get uncomfortable though.

He fixes me with an unsettling, unblinking stare. " You are not truly a seer are you?"

"No." I can't help but cast my eyes downward, caught red handed in my ruse. I guess elves are good at detecting lies maybe…

"Yet you have future knowledge of this world. The Valar bestowed this upon you perhaps?" Elrond continues.

"Not the knowledge no. Though me coming here, I wouldn't put that past them. I certainly didn't mean to come here myself. Where I'm from, none of this exists outside of a very popular story. That's how I know about it." I confess.

"Your friends still believe you are." He continues.

"Yes, though they're also warned not to lean on me for every future event. I did say what I know is limited." I clarify, popping a tart in my mouth.

"Crafty." The elf muses. Though I'm not sure if that was supposed to be a compliment or not.  
"What is your agenda I wonder?" He asks. "What are you hoping to gain by joining this quest, and thereafter?"

I fall silent. It's a question I don't think I really asked myself. I jumped right into this whole situation without really thinking that much about it. Just rolling with the flow and impulse. My chest deflates from a sharp exhale. "In the story, there were things that happened that, really didn't need to happen just to get the same results. But I didn't think much on it since it wasn't my story, I just enjoyed….pretending everyone's alright. Then suddenly I'm thrown into the world itself, with changes here that weren't in the story. So, that also questions just how legit my 'Seer' skills really are still. Like the Alpha culture wasn't even mentioned once in the books and it exists here. How I met the company was also a little different too…"

The elf lord listens silently, still as a statue and moves just enough to remind me that he's not a statue. A silence stretches, to the point of making me irritable and I am about ready to walk away.  
"So you wish to change what the 'books' say about our fates?" He finally speaks.  
"Well I need to try something." I reply with subtly harder edge to my voice. "I came here for a reason, right before the quest started, meeting key people involved in it. Things are way different, would have been different with or without me anyway. So there's something else, some other change I am supposed to be able to do."

"And you are certain it is with us? Or them?" The Elven lord asks.

They are good questions to be completely honest. Questions I don't want to even consider. I don't need anymore questions that doubt my needs and my wants. It makes me even more irritable on the inside. So tired of these what if questions that aren't helping me get to my answers any faster.

"Well then I'll find that out myself won't I." I reply. " I came here, automatically thinking I was supposed to join the company and help them succeed and find a new home here in Middle Earth. I don't know what my future holds and with the good lord watching over me I don't need to. It feels like I am doing what I am supposed to be doing. Believe me that's not an easy feeling to find in my home world. So long as I have that feeling I want to hold onto it as long as I can again."

"Your purpose."

"Yes. Guess I could have just said that." I mumble.

Lord Elrond finally cracks a smile. A kind smile and not one of mocking or sardonic nature like I might have expected. "In my many years as a healer, warrior, and father, I have always been reminded that our most important meaning of our lives is to find our gifts, and the purpose of finding them is to give them away. When ever you feel you are doing that, then you are living for purpose. You need not question any further when the answer is 'because it is right.'"

I sit at a loss for words. Unable to really think of anything better than that or even anything to add onto that. It sums up a lot of what I hadn't realized I was struggling with nearly all this time. The sense of peace that comes after that, like a weight being removed. Holy smokes I need to write this down. That was perfect!  
"You're right." I finally find my voice again. I smile a genuine grin in gratitude with a bow before he takes his leave as well. "Thank you by the way."

"My pleasure Lady Alicia." Lord Elrond says cordially before we part ways.

Wow. I mean that was like a light bulb going off in my head. It makes me want to start planning out all my next moves. What I can and can't do and the like. First thing is I need o get back to learning more about what really is Middle Earth and what is just story.

…Perhaps I shouldn't have left the library…

Still, the gardens are a nice break from staring at pretty walls and papers. Gives me a chance to just enjoy the moment. I wish more people could have this sense of contentment so much more often.  
My silence is disrupted by only small noises like birds chirping or rabbits running about. However bigger sounds of trees rustling, like there's a monkey nearby catches my attention. I get up to find the source out of curiosity. I am led to some nut trees with flower mums decorating the path and a few bushes dotted about.

Near one of the trees I see a basket all alone near the base of the tree. Now who would have just left it here? Peering inside, it's halfway full of freshly picked nuts. Maybe they left it here accidentally. I reach for it, intending to return it to the kitchen, but just as I touch it, suddenly the head of a big squirrel sticks out at me, chirping a few times and dashing for the basket. It scares me so bad I stumble ungracefully backwards, arms flailing about as I try to get away.

The squrriel chirps and comes out of the bushes completely. It's form starts shifting into a concerned Bilbo Baggins. " Oh dear! I'm dreadfully sorry Miss Alicia! I've frightened you again it seems." He came to try and help me up. Little guy is stronger than he looks, able to yank me by my hand easily enough to right me. "Oh it's alright really. I am sorry. I just didn't know who's basket that was is all."

"Oh yes. I was gathering a few more nuts is all. They didn't have enough in the kitchens for a pie I was going to make." The hobbit looks between the basket and me. He picks it up and straightens out his vest with an approving smile.

"So you're a red squirrel?" I start to smile, now significantly less tripped out at seeing it's Bilbo. His cheek tint just a smidge that If I wasn't already standing in front of him I do not think I would have noticed.  
"I, ah, yesss. I am." His head dips a little too, as if something so cute is something to be ashamed of.  
"I like it." I say. He looks back up to me. "You startled me pretty good is all, but it's a good animal."  
"You like squirrels?" He asks me.  
I purse my lips."…No. I can't stand those annoying gray squirrels that keep messing up my plants in my back yard and eating all the bird seed I put out to attract them to eat all the bugs." I confess. "But you're not those annoying dim-witted animals, You're better than that!" I quickly add at seeing his crestfallen face.  
"I should rephrase that; I mean that I don't like the annoying gray squirrels invading my backyard all the time. I do NOT think the squirrel as a creature is terrible. And you are officially my favorite of them all." I flash a big doofy smile as if that supposed to make it all better. With grace, he still takes it with a small smile of his own.  
"Well, that's good to know. If you do not find my company so terrible then, perhaps I may venture further in asking what troubles you?" The hobbit inquires with award winning diplomacy.

"What? What do you mean?" I request, turning sideways to turn half my attention back to the flowers I was admiring earlier.  
"You've been distant from the lot of us. Seems unlike you. Is something the matter?" He steps closer to join me.  
I debate internally, weighing the options of whether I should tell him or if it's too childish a thing to even mention, though I wouldn't know if I at least ask right? I mean, it wouldn't hurt to talk it out just to be sure, besides this is a good opportunity to learn more.

"Well, let's say, the reality of the entire situation is hitting me, again and I thought I was ready for it since we left Bree. And yet I keep getting thrown off my game by something I don't expect to happen at all. For instance, I didn't know dwarves, and hobbits for that matter could transform. When was that a thing? And why was everyone acting so, almost completely different when we were ambushed again by those hunters?"  
Bilbo sits down next to me in the shade, kincly lending an ear to my rambling. "Seer I might be, but there's a lot more to this quest I don't know. Not even just this quest but the new country we're in. Er, it's new to me." I look back to him. "If I am not taking up your time, can you give me a run down?"

Bilbo looks baffled, trying to digest my request. "A what?"

"Like a crash course on the world we're living in today, the people in it, especially more about shapeshifters." I try to explain.

"Explaining the world to you is going to take more than the rest of this day Miss Alicia." Bilbo makes a dry joke. "However, I will try my best to answer all your questions. Though, I imagine Gandalf, or even Lord Elrond would be a better choice. Even Master Balin."

"I don't think I want to talk to Balin just yet…" I mumble. "And Gandalf doesn't always answer straight because he thinks it hilarious to just feed you riddles instead. Lord Elrond….Yeah. I may ask him later. The whole shapeshifting though, that's what's really boggling me right now."

"Shapeshifting is a very general term. More specifically, it is called the Alpha culture. Now that I am knowledgeable in." Bilbo nods his head approvingly. He looks up at the canopies of the trees for a second. "No one knows the real truth anymore, but the common story amongst the hobbits is this; In the first Age, when the first Hobbits were created by Lady Yavanna and were beginning to carve out a life of their own, it was also during a time of constant raiding when the orcs too were tripling in number. Hobbits were nearly slaughtered to extinction before the Lady herself came down, imbuing some of her animals with her power. Some say she took the form of the animal herself. First she was a white wolf. A hobbit found her and instead of running away in fear, he was drawn to her. The white wolf was gentle and patient, healing his wounds by licking them, sharing her fur to keep him warm, cuddling with him to keep him he was fully recovered, He touched her again and was infused with some of her magic, taking the wolf form himself. She then changed to a bear and did the same with another hobbit, and so on and so forth with each that was 'of age', so a young adult after the, uh, adult changes…"

 _'So right after puberty. Probably a good thing.'_

"All were filled with the righteous rage that Lady Yavanna had. Some took the front lines, charging at the orcs. They became the Alphas, some took the defensive task, making sure none got past them if they somehow made it past the Alphas. They provided support for everyone. They became the Betas. While some took the children much too young for such nasty business, finding new places of shelter to provide for them till the families were reunited. They became the Omegas." Bilbo goes on to say.  
"Now, Our lady is married to Aule, or Mahal, who created the dwarves. Talented as they all are, none of the Valar could create a soul except Eru, who pardoned Aule for his secrecy and gave the dwarves proper life. However, they did not understand the real value of it, because Mahal created them to have too great a mind for their crafts. Which meant that if they were in battle, they could not tell the difference between friend and foe. They acted like tools and contraptions. When Aule saw how the dark forces had grown so strong, he begged his wife to share her gift with his people. She was reluctant to do so at first, but came around in short time. She did, and it gave the people of Aule a new look at life. The Alpha culture was created for love and protection after all. Though, it has sadly gained a dark reputation due to those of corrupted intentions."

 _'What…defaq? NONE of this was in the book, was this some alternate logistic to an alternative of an alternate universe? Did I somehow cause this in some wonky way because I'm here now?'_

"Well, it's as good of an origin story as any." I say in a deceptively calm tone that's unlike my thoughts.  
Bilbo too nods once. "Tis the one that has stuck with us longest. The Gift was made for hobbits you see. So we tend to always have the best control over it. Most of the dark stories you hear are always about the dwarves."

"I see. What else?" I ask for more.

"Well, much like in the animal ways, scents play a big part for us too. We each will have our own scent, and then if a certain emotion is strong enough, we may smell it too. Fear, anger, depression, joy, love and happiness for example. Boy language and sounds like purring, whimpering, roaring, and types of growls. The three main types are the 'alluring' growl. It is the quietest usually for only the person you are bonding or sating with to hear. The 'play growl' sometimes used when expressing frustrations as well. Lastly the warning growl, the loudest and used to ward off enemies."

I tilt my head in thought. "You said bonding and sating? What does that imply?"

The hobbit smiles a little. "Bonding is like what you humans may call, puppy love. Sating is what adults normally do, a step between bonding and mating."

Wow, although I am honestly impressed with how deep these rituals of affections are, I can't seem to bring myself to show it. "That sounds sweet." Is all I can bring myself to say.  
Bilbo is trying to share his culture with me and it would be selfish of me to start talking about my worries as if he could do anything about it. I can see how this may start to sound weird or creepy to other folks now. "Thanks for clearing that up for me Bilbo."  
"Yes of course. Happy to help." The hobbit smiles.

I bid him farewell to let him go back to harvesting. Inside I feel a sort of victory dance, as if gaining one step more in the right direction. Another thing that would be wise is to learn a little more on defending myself too. Why not see what I like and practice with it? Maybe someone might give me a few pointers on it all. With a newfound determination, I am off to increase my chances of survival.

 **Ain't that just how life works. Ups and downs every day and night. keeps us on our toes doesn't it. So it took me longer than I care to admit to write this chapter, but I do hope that future chapters won't take me so long to get posted. Thank you again for your support, It means a lot!**


End file.
